Skip beat Surprise!
by piggycat350
Summary: Sho and Kyoko are going to be starring in another PV! What feelings would be stirred up this time...? Ren, Sho & Kyoko, how would their relationship be after this?
1. Act 1: The Leading Lady

Skip beat! fan fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own skip beat! (No matter how much I wish for it)

Author notes: Seeing that many skip beat fanfics out there is rather intimidating, so I wonder what possessed me to post my own fanfic up here. Oh well, I just hope it sounds logical and you guys enjoy reading it as much as I had creating this story. Feel free to give me "constructive criticisms", I promise I'll survive them.

Plot picks up from Valentines', and develops from there.

* * *

"Sho? Sho?"

_Huh? Oh, it's just Shouko-san…_

"What's the matter? Is the meeting now?" Leaning back, Sho stretched his legs on the table.

"In a few minutes. I'd just thought I should pass to you this first." Shouko held up a brightly wrapped box.

"More chocolates? Give or throw them away. I don't want anymore!" Sho grabbed a magazine and started flipping through it.

"Shouldn't you be glad that you got many chocolates? This is proof that you're popular!" Shouko started lecturing him.

_Yeah, yeah… So what if I received that many chocolates? I've yet to receive them from he- Wait, what did she just say?_

"Who did you say this chocolates were from again?" Sho blurted out.

"Didn't you listen to anything I just said?" Shouko was irritated. Not only was she interrupted mid-way, Sho was also apparently not listening to a single word she said.

"I said that they were from Kyou-"

_Thump. _Sho felt his heart beating extra fast.

"-ka-san. She's going to be directing your new PV and it seems her niece is a fan of yours. So you should keep those chocolates."

_Thump. _Sho now felt his heart practically sink with depression. _Wait a minute! What am I depressed about? It's not as if I expect her to give chocolates to me even though she has been giving me chocolates year after year after year after year…_

Heaving a deep sigh, he sank deeper into the chair. A_fter all I did to her, I can hardly expect anything…_

Looking at Sho, expectant then depressed, Shouko could not help but wonder how childlike her charge was when it comes to a certain someone.

"Were you expecting them to be from Kyouko-chan instead?"

"What? Of course not!" Sho pronounced stoutly, but his averted eyes told the truth.

Shaking her head slightly, Shouko said, "Anyway, it's time for the meeting, and I expect you to show a little courtesy to Kyouka-san, the director of your new PV. It certainly wouldn't kill you to."

Shrugging, Sho did not promise anything and led the way out of the room.

* * *

_This meeting is BORING! That director isn't even that good-looking. Otherwise I would not feel this sleepy and bored beyond belief. I wonder if I can leave..._

Shouko glanced sideways at her charge and saw him spacing out. _Unbelievable, only 10 minutes into the meeting and he's already bored out of his mind. Could it be because the new director isn't his type? _Shouko knew her young charge well. _I can only hope something interesting comes up before he decides to leave the room…_

"So I was thinking of giving Fuwa-san a slightly different image in this new PV" The director was saying. Seeing Shouko was going to object to this, she hurriedly added, " Don't worry, I'm not going to give him an image overhaul! After all, his cool, playboy image is what the girls love. I'm just going to add a new side to Fuwa-san. In this PV, I'm going to make it very romantic, something soft and fluffy. I'm very sure the girls would love Fuwa-san even more after this."

Shouko looked at her charge, and saw him paying more attention now. _As expected, his image is of utmost importance._

"I think we can work with that…" Shouko spoke for Sho. "What do you have in mind?"

Relieved that Sho was not going to be difficult, Kyouka continued, "Well, a romance must also have a female co-star, and I was thinking of this girl. You've worked with her before, in the 'Prisoner' PV? Apparently she's getting quite popular, getting roles in 'Dark Moon' and filming 'Box'R'. Now, let me see..." Flipping through her file, the female director mumbled under her breath. "Give me a moment, I can't seem to find her information…"

"Kyouko…?"

Surprised, the director looked up, "That's her. My, you have a good memory don't you, Fuwa-san?"

_Kyouko, me, romance…?_


	2. Act 2: The Meeting

Disclaimer: Skip Beat isn't mine, sadly

Chapter 2

* * *

Kyouko, me, romance…?

_Crap. Did I just say her name out loud?_

The director continued speaking, "That's right. Kyouko-san has been rather active lately. After performing as Mio on the highly rated drama, Dark Moon, she is now acting out as 'Natsu' on another highly anticipated drama, Box 'R'. I have very high hopes for this rising actress, she has a lot of potential."

Shouko interrupted, risking the fact that she might offend the new director, "But Kyouka-san, is it a good idea? Using Kyouko-san. After all, those roles that she has done are all bully roles. Hardly appropriate as reference for a romance video…"

"I see your point there, Shouko-san, but you see, I'm actually friends with the director of Box 'R', and he told me how he had no confidence in Kyouko-san acting out as Natsu properly, since she was giving off a very 'Mio' vibe during filming. But, she amazed him when she came up with a 'Natsu' of her own. Different from what he had in mind but extremely fitting for the show. So I have absolute confidence that she can pull off a romance role, by coming up with something unique for it."

"But-"

"I'll do it."

Shouko looked at Sho in surprise. "Are you sure about this?"

But Sho was looking right at the director, a first since the meeting started, who was looking happy with herself for convincing the difficult Fuwa Sho to do as she said.

He smirked, "However, while I may have agreed to do so, it is that girl you would have to convince. Or didn't you know? She is in that ridiculous Love-Me group, meaning, she may not be as capable as you think of pulling off a romance role. Besides, she may not be willing to work with me. So if I were you, I'd start looking for another actress."

With a final cold glance, Sho got up and left the room.

* * *

"FUWA SHO!"

The scream reverberated throughout the hallway as the door slammed open and Shouko stalked towards guy in question, sprawled out on the couch without a care in the world.

_Uh-oh. Charm my way out or run away?_

"How could you have walked out like that? Do you know how difficult it is for ME? You…YOU…!"

_Running away sounds better._

"Do you even have a CLUE how AWKWARD it was when you left the room? I had to promise her a favour before she calmed down! Actually, I promise her for you… So you have a dinner date the night after tomorrow, with her niece."

"WHAT? How could you just agree so easily?"

"Well, it is your fault to begin with. You shouldn't have just left. You know, whenever something concerning Kyouko-chan comes up, you become different. You become…well, reckless or something." Shouko folded her arms, staring at that guy.

Not wanting to prove or disprove her assumption, Sho got up. "Whatever! I don't want to hear that from someone who has _recklessly_ given away a date with me. She could be hideous, for all we know, seeing how her aunt isn't the best looking person around!"

Grabbing his jacket, "I'm going out! I need to think."

He left Shouko by herself for the second time.

* * *

Outside, near the beach,

_Damn it! How could Shouko-san just agree to a date like that! Even worse, she's right. It is my entire fault. How could I have lost my temper like that?_

Blowing out a pent-up breath, he looked around him. Having people, especially girls, pointing, staring and trying to get a photo of him usually lifted his spirit, not to mention, boosting his already too-large ego.

_That's weird. Usually there'll be more people staring at me... Wait, what's that crowd over there for?_

Sho walked over, trying to act nonchalant about it, and caught a glimpse of a TV crew.

_Tch. It's just plain old filming. What's so attractive about it anyway? They should be more attention to me instead!_

More pissed off, he started to walk away.

"Isn't she hot? Looking at her, you can hardly believe she's that scary looking Mio from Dark Moon! Makes you want to…you know…"

"That's right. She is just too gorgeous…"

Overhearing this conversation between two obviously hormonal teenage boys, Sho stopped where he was.

_Mio? They could not be talking about Kyouko, could they? I mean, she's hardly…_

His thought trailed off when Kyouko, or rather Natsu, walked into his view. Walking with such grace that would have even made experienced models jealous, she was in a school uniform, unbuttoned at the top, smiling slightly at what her friend was saying.

_…Pretty._

_Thump. _Sho felt his heart beating extra fast at the sight of this Kyouko. He has never seen this side of her before.

_Who is this girl? So familiar yet like a stranger. Where did she get that model-like confidence? And that uniform… It's totally different from when she's in school back home. That expression… _

Mesmerised by the sight of Kyouko, Sho stood there, unmoving, watching as Box 'R' was filmed before him.

"…CUT! And that's a wrap for today! Otsukaresama…" The director started signalling to various people for reports.

"Otsukaresama" could be heard here and then as the crew started packing up for the day.

The crowd, upon seeing the crew packing up, also dispersed, discussing excitedly about what they observed. Most were talking about Kyouko. "Pretty", "Gorgeous", "Hot", "She's that Mio", could be heard everywhere.

Only Sho remained where he was, practically paralysed with shock. Somehow, his legs started moving on their own, bringing him forward, towards that girl, that childhood friend, he thought he knew very well.

Kyouko, unbeknownst to the evil that was coming towards her (demons seem to be off-radar), was smiling happily at a good day's work.

"Otsukaresama!" she said happily to her co-actors.

She's even more beautiful up close.

Smiling and humming softly to herself, she packed up her belongings, picking up a bottle to drink. Then she turned around to leave.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Screaming, and spewing out water at the same time, upon seeing the devil himself, man of her nightmares, Fuwa Shoutaro.

"IT"S YOU! Damn it, I'm not prepared! Demons, where are you?"

Amused, Sho looked on as Kyouko looked left, right, under her arms, everywhere around herself for something.

_Now, that is the Kyouko I know. But what is she trying to do?_

"What are you finding?" Kyouko looked up from searching her pockets.

"YOU! You must have done something to them! ARGH… stay away from me!" Kyouko moved backwards alarmingly fast.

_Them? Must be those fairies of hers or some sort again._

"I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, have you received news of your new job?" Sho started moving towards her.

"What are you talking about?" Kyouko screeched, still moving backwards. "And don't come near me!"

Sho wanted to laugh outright at the sight of Kyouko, but held it in, not wanting to ruin his cool image.

"You don't know?" He was smirking now. "Are you sure you want to discuss this in front of everyone?"

Kyouko stopped abruptly and looked around. The crew has stopped what they were doing and were staring at them. She could practically hear what they were thinking.

_Kyouko-chan knows Fuwa Sho? Are they going out? How do they know each other?_

It was the same with Dark Moon.

Angry that Shoutaro has a point, she calmed herself down and pointed towards a more secluded part of the beach.

"We need to talk."

* * *

A/N: This is a looong chapter. Is it too boring? Should I be less descriptive? Please review and give me your feedback and suggestions. Thanks for the reviews before as well. They made my day =)


	3. Act 3: The Answer

Skip Beat Surprise

Chapter 3

Happy reading!

* * *

Kyouko sat in the President's office, which was as usual over-done in its grandeur. Sawara-san had told her that President Lory was looking for her. But he was still out inspecting the sets of various dramas when she got to his office. His secretary brought her into the office first, saying that the President would be back soon.

Kyouko sat on the expensive cream sofa, right at the edge, for fear of dirtying it. She sat, her back rigid, as she thought back to her conversation with Shoutaro.

* * *

She led the way towards a secluded part of the beach, with Shoutaro lagging a few steps behind. Both were silent as they walked, well, at least one was silent, anyway.

Her little demonic grudges circled around her, whispering worriedly, _"Are you sure this is a good idea? Going off alone with the devil himself? We might not be adequately prepared to deal with whatever he might throw at us."_

Kyouko whispered back angrily, "I'm not talking to you guys! You abandoned me just now, in a time of peril! He could have attacked me and I had nothing to defend myself with!"

Sho saw her whispering to herself, but decided not to pursue the matter. It saves him from getting a headache.

Her demons bow their heads in unison, looking remorseful _"We apologize… It's just that it has been such a long time since we felt those anger vibes that make us so refreshed. So when we caught a whiff of it nearby, we just went off in search… It was so good. The girlfriend was breaking up with her boyfriend for drooling over you. It felt so refreshing. So, in our hunger, we failed to detect the devil's presence. Very sorry."_

Kyouko, still angry but somewhat appeased at the sorry looks on her demons' faces, whispered back, "You guys had better not abandon me again! Or I might have to start recruiting new demons!"

Sho spoke aloud then, "I think we've gone far enough…" then moving a few steps forward, he bent down, and whispered into her ears, "or do you want to go somewhere even more… _private_?"

Kyouko and her demons froze. So deep in discussion on how to deal with Shoutaro, that they failed to detect him coming for the second time.

"_AAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! Get him!!!"_ her demons gave a huge war cry.

Before they could even touch him, he lifted his hand in a 'stop' sign. Some of the demons smack right into it.

"_Retreat! Retreat! Treat the injured!"_ they moved cautiously now.

Sho, unaware that anything happened, raised his hand and said, "Before you start screaming again, I just want to say I mean no harm."

Kyouko snorted. As if.

Sho, though pissed off at Kyouko snorting at him, let it slide. He continued, "I'm just here to inform you of your new job, seeing how your company failed to do so. So, here: You have a new assignment. An opportunity to act in another PV with…" he thumped his chest, "…_Me_."

Kyouko's jaw dropped right onto the sandy floor_. No one told her anything. Maybe he's just lying, that stupid, attention-seeking brat. Even if he's not, I won't do it. Once was enough. I won't do it. Not now. Not ever._

Sho could practically hear what she was thinking. He still understands her rather well. He smirked, "I knew it. You're going to reject the job. That's just what I told the director, that you're _incapable_…"

Hearing those words from Shoutaro was like a slap to her face. Her rage boiled up to a point where even her demons were cowering in fear.

Just then there was a blast of music, which was cut off abruptly.

"Yeah?" Sho spoke into his phone. "Stop nagging… I'm on my way back now…"

He placed his phone back into his pocket and looked at Kyouko. He shuddered involuntarily. He could actually feel the dark aura emanating from her. He took a few steps back, just in case.

"Well, since you've decided to give up, I'd better tell the director to start looking for someone else… See you around, or not…"

He gave a nonchalant shrug and strolled off as if without a care in the world, though he was desperately wishing in his heart for Kyouko to stop him and say she would take the job.

Nothing happened.

* * *

"_That jerk. Stupid Shoutaro. Don't listen, Kyouko-sama. He's just playing with your mind!" _Her demons whispered desperately.

"I know that! But he challenged me directly! How can I turn it down?! Argh…!" Kyouko pulled her hair in desperation.

The door opened and the President walked in, dressed like an Egyptian pharaoh, complete with the headdress and even with two assistants holding long hand-fans, even though it was cold out that day.

"Mogami-kun!" The President stretched out his arms, asking for forgiveness, "Pardon me for being so late. The inspection took longer than I had thought it would!"

Kyouko stood and bowed low. The President never ceases to amaze her his flamboyant dressing. _Isn't he cold?_

"Mr. President. Good afternoon. Don't worry, I haven't been waiting long."

The President sighed and dismissed his assistants with a wave. "You're still as formal as ever, Mogami-kun. Which brings me to why I wanted to see you. Take a seat. Do you want a drink?"

Kyouko sat, but declined the drink. She waited for the President to speak.

"You have been in the Love-Me section for quite some time now… So how has it been?"

Not sure what the President was implying, she hesitated before answering, "It has been alright… Chiori-san and Moko-san are really nice people. Also, the assignments I got have allowed me to improve my acting… Ah, also…"

The President interrupted, shaking his head vehemently, "No, No, Mogami-kun… That wasn't what I wanted to know… I'm sure your colleagues are nice people and your acting is improving. But I'm asking about _love._ How is it? Do you feel love now? Hm?"

Kyouko froze. How was she to answer this? Right after meeting that stupid Shoutaro, how could she say she feels _love?_

The President saw and felt her hesitation. He sighed and saved her from answering, "Never mind, Mogami-kun. Your body language has told me your answer… Well, since you obviously don't feel love yet, it must be those Love-Me assignments aren't helpful enough. So I've personally handpicked your next assignment… Sawara-san has been instructed not to give anything away because I wanted to be the one to give you the news…"

Kyouko felt a sense of foreboding. The President leaned forwards, "Your next Love-Me assignment would be to star in Fuwa Sho's latest PV."

She was stunned. _No way…_

He continued, "Consider it to be a test, Mogami-kun… Who knows? I might graduate you if you complete this task well."

* * *

She sat in her dressing room, waiting for her scene with Momose-san to be called out. She was alone, because after taking one look at her face when she came in that day, people avoided her, not wanting to speak one-on-one with Mio.

"Mogami-san? What's the matter?" Kyouko looked up and saw Tsuruga Ren leaning against the doorway, rather amused at her muttering to herself.

"Tsuruga-san! Good afternoon!" She jumped up and bowed low. "When did you come in? I didn't hear… Wait, you don't have a scene today…"

Ren moved to sit next to her on the couch. "I left something behind and came back to take it… Also, I did knock but you were busy talking to…well, yourself. Which brings me back to my question, what's the matter?"

_Should I tell him everything?_ Kyouko sneaked a glance at Ren. He was smiling slightly. She shuddered, her demons started burning up from the glare. She decided to tell. If not, there would be more casualties.

Ren watched, concerned yet amused at the sight of Kyouko fidgeting with her hair, her hands and her dress, when she got up, knelt on the floor and started apologizing.

In her low form on the floor, she spoke up, "Forgive me, Tsuruga-san. The President has assigned me the next Love-Me task, which is…" she hesitated, then blurted it out, "starring in a PV with Fuwa Sho!" She cringed and waited for chaos to be unleashed.

Silence.

She risked a glance at Ren, and flinched. He was deadly still. Though he wasn't smiling that destructive smile of his, she could still feel anger oozing out from his very being. she looked down again. Her heart sank. _He probably thinks I'll make use of this to get some form of revenge again._

"Ppfft…!"

_Huh? Am I hearing things? For a minute there, I thought Tsuruga-san laughed…_

"Ppfft…!" She looked up cautiously, she couldn't afford to waste any demons seeing how she needs them for her battle with Shoutaro.

Ren was trying and failing to hold back his laughter.

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san?" She was mystified.

Ren looked at her, giving her a genuine smile. Her demons shrank back in fear but did not disintegrate. "Mogami-san, you look like I'm going to eat you up alive… get up first…" He helped her up.

When they were all seated, he continued, "Why did you apologize anyway? You said it was the President's instructions, right? Besides, you told me before… that acting to you is no longer a form of revenge… so… why should I be angry? I'll only be angry if you don't do your best."

Kyouko stared at Ren. He was clearly angry. She felt it. But she decided to not to point that out to him. _No point making him angry now…_

"Mogami-san! It's your turn." A crewmember called her out.

"Ah…Hai!" She looked at Ren again, "Thank you, Tsuruga-san"

She got up, gave a low bow and left the room, feeling better now that Tsuruga-san did not disapprove.

He watched as she bowed that ridiculously low bow again and left.

His fist clenched tightly. He wasn't angry.

He was ridiculously furious. Not at her, rather at the fact that she has to come into contact yet again with _him._

He sighed, his emotions were so easily revealed these days. It was probably because of her.

He got up, smoothing out imaginary crumples, and left the room.

He needed to have a talk with the President regarding this matter.

* * *

Back at the lounge,

"Sho! Sho!" Shouko came running into the room.

_What now? _

"What's the matter now?" He mumbled from behind the magazine, which was placed on his face as he stretched out on the sofa.

"We've just received a call from LME. Kyouko-chan has agreed to do the PV…!"

Shouko couldn't tell how Sho felt, with his face hidden behind the magazine.

Sho just grunted in response, not implying anything.

Shouko felt somewhat irritated. _He could show more enthusiasm. Oh wait, this is Fuwa Sho we're talking about here…_ "Well, I'd just thought you might be interested to know…" She shrugged and left Sho by himself.

From behind the magazine, a huge grin was unfurling on his face.

Let the show begin…

* * *

A/n: sorry this chapter took so long (gives a low bow). I was distracted by my other fic and neglected this. Also, I just realised it is extremely rude of me to not reply to review (kneels and starts grovelling for forgiveness). So sorry. I hereby vow to reply every review from now onwards. Please review, because your reviews make me shamelessly happy. Feel free to feedback on whether it's getting too boring, too long-winded, too OOC, etc… thanks again =)


	4. Act 4: Their Thoughts

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I never did, and never will, own Skip Beat! *Sobs uncontrollably*

Happy Reading!

* * *

"So the storyline I had in mind is rather predictable, simple, but to those teenaged fan girls out there, it is downright romantic. Especially when they get to view a romantic side of Fuwa Sho… Imagine, Fuwa Sho is known to be a playboy but if the fans get to see a softer side of him… It will be unbelievable…" Kyouka spoke, then practically swooned herself when she thought about seeing a gentle Fuwa Sho.

Her reverie was broken when Shouko cleared her throat, loudly. Kyouka broke out of her daydreams, and then blushed, upon remembering where she was.

They were having their first official cast meeting regarding the filming of the new PV. The camera crew, Shouko and Kyouko continued staring at the director, who is apparently Fuwa Sho fan girl herself. Only the man himself was looking elsewhere, utterly bored.

_I don't believe this…_ Kyouko seethed to herself. _Kyouka-san looks like a sensible, mature lady. How could she be a fan of that idiot?! That's it, for the sake of sanity, I have to open her eyes to what a jerk Shoutaro is… _Her demons nodded their heads in agreement. The 'For sanity's sake, beat Shoutaro' plan was on.

Kyouka coughed, covering her embarrassment, and continued speaking, "Anyway, as I was saying, the storyline is simple."

"Once upon a time, there lived a girl, an heiress, who fell in love with someone she can never be with. She fell in love with a commoner boy. At first, both disliked each other. The girl hated the boy's uncouth manner while the boy hated the girl's snobbery. But one day the girl got into an accident while picking flowers on the hills. She hurt her ankle and was unable to walk. She would have had to spend the entire night there if the boy did not happen to pass by. From there, their love blossomed and they met with many obstacles, disapproval, and the differences in their status. But true love conquered and they lived happily ever after."

"Well, what do you think?" Kyouka looked around at the still bewildered group, beaming. She was a sucker when it came to this kind of romance story.

Sho snorted. He snuck a glance at Kyouko, whom he hasn't spoken to since morning. Her eyes were shining brightly, her mouth slightly opened and her hands clasped together in delight. He snorted again. It figures. Anything story starting with 'Once upon a time' and ending with 'happily ever after' would have Kyouko drooling with happiness.

Kyouko had paid attention to what the director had been saying. Though her mind exploded with happiness when the word 'heiress' was said. She raised her hand.

"Yes? Kyouko-san?"

Kyouko asked eagerly, "Am I the one acting as the heiress?"

The director stared at her. "Well… you are the lead actress, so I'm leaning towards 'yes'…"

Kyouko could barely contain herself from having fits of delight. Then her bubble burst when she remembered whom she was acting opposite with. Her attention was caught when Shoutaro snorted. Again.

She glared at him. It had been two days since their meeting at the beach and she wanted to continue not speaking to him unless necessary. She frowned at him, trying to get her message to him without speaking aloud.

_Stupid Shoutaro. Don't think I did not catch you snorting the first two times… Any more and people would think you've become a pig… Oh wait, you already are one. Damn pig…_

Sho returned her glare, not catching her message but not wanting to be out-glared by her. Kyouka cleared her throat, and Kyouko turned away to give her attention to the director.

"So, if there are no other questions, filming would begin tomorrow morning. Report here by 7.30a.m. We've managed to find a suitable villa to use as the location shoot, and a bus would take us there. Please be punctual and that's it. See you tomorrow"

As people started making their way out from the meeting, Sho gave a yawn and stretched. He turned his head to speak to Kyouko, but only saw an empty seat where she was.

_Damn._

He got up hurriedly and made his way out as fast as he could, without being seen as uncool. He caught a glimpse of Kyouko, who was practically running, at the end of the hallway.

"Oi!"

His shout made everyone ahead pause and turn. Kyouko stopped as well but only for a moment, before hurrying off again.

_Shit._

He walked on faster after her, his long legs giving him an advantage, and caught up. He grabbed hold of her arm, causing her to stumble to a stop.

Kyouko faced him, eyes flashing, hissing, "What?!"

To be honest, Sho had no idea what to say. He just wanted some time with her, alone.

"Come with me" Kyouko stumbled, as she was half-dragged towards the nearest empty room.

Kyouko wrenched her arm out of his grip, and looked right at him. Her demons prepared for battle, waiting for the enemy to make the first move.

Sho looked at Kyouko, wanting to say many things, but blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Why didn't you give me chocolates for Valentines?"

Then Sho mentally cursed himself for saying something so uncool. _Crap._

He tried to salvage the situation, "I mean, if you could give that _Beagle _handmade chocolates, why didn't you give them to me?" He leant in, continuing in a low voice, "After all, we have been _together_ for so long…"

He didn't think that he impressed her with that argument, but he had to know why that Beagle had chocolates while he didn't.

_Piack!_

* * *

_Piack!_

The sound resounded throughout the room.

Tsuruga Ren remained impassive, used to the President's mood swings. He watched as the President picked up the stack of papers again, before slapping it back down onto the table.

"No, no, no! It won't work!" The President got up and paced the room, muttering under his breath.

Ren continued watching the President for a few more minutes, before sighing, rather audibly. President Lory whirled around and looked at the other occupant in the room, as if he had just noticed him.

"Ah! Ren…! Sorry for neglecting you, but it's just that the scripts submitted for the next season's dramas are hopeless! Hopeless, I tell you! I can't feel the love anywhere!" Lory stared at Ren, waiting for the other guy to support him.

Silence.

Lory sighed, and then took a seat across Ren.

"Well, tell me what you want… Don't let my troubles worry you! Well?"

Ren would have rolled his eyes, if it weren't out of character for him. The President always had the same objections when it came to choosing the new dramas. It worsened during this time, especially since Valentines had just passed.

Ren leant back, crossing his legs elegantly, "Why did you make Mogami-san take that assignment?"

To Ren's surprise, President Lory started laughing.

"Ren… So blunt! Could it be that you're jealous? You usually don't question me about my interference, but you did this time. And you did it in such a blunt way as well! Ah… The unfathomable Tsuruga Ren is actually jealous!"

A vein started twitching in the face of the usually impassive Ren. He held his anger in. He raked a hand through his hair, "Well, it's just that I don't think it's a good idea. What if-"

President Lory lifted a hand, stopping Ren from continuing.

"Whether it's a good idea or not, I have clear indications. I know the risks in having Kyouko doing this role. But the benefits would prove that it is worth the risk. On one hand, Kyouko might murder Fuwa Sho, but on the other, she might actually get over her love problem and be able to start loving again! Isn't that good news, Ren?"

Ren had no idea if he should punch the President or laugh in his face. He wanted to do both. Kyouko needed more than that before she's able to get over her problem. That person had hurt her deep. He had seen the proof of it before. His heart thumped uneasily, painfully aware of the fact that Fuwa Sho held a big place in her heart, despite the fact that it was filled with hatred.

President Lory had picked up the stack of papers again, flipping through it, when Ren stood. He brushed out imaginary dust of his suit and was about to leave the room, aware that there was no arguing with the President when he had made up his mind.

Lory glanced up at Ren, before looking back at the scripts.

"You know, there are more important things for you to be worried about. Such as the kiss they're going to have…"

Ren froze.

"Kiss?" Came the slightly strangled reply.

The President smirked, "Actually, I have no idea… But seeing how it's a romance video, there's bound to be some intimate scenes… Anyway, don't let me hold you back. I'm sure you have more important things to do."

Ren understood the clear dismissal. He left the room, fists clenched tight, an uneasy feeling in his heart.

* * *

_Piack!_

Sho staggered back in surprise, holding his reddened cheek. Kyouko glared at him, her hand was stinging after putting all her strength in that slap, even though her demons helped double the blow.

She stalked forwards, causing Sho to step backwards, who was rather afraid of the murderous aura she radiated. Though he would rather die than to admit that he was afraid of his childhood friend.

The same friend who had just slapped him, hard.

The same friend who had worshipped the ground he walked, but is now looking, no, glaring, at him as if he killed something of hers. Yes, he probably did. Her heart.

Kyouko hissed, in full Mio mode now.

"How dare you! You! You jerk… You dare ask why you didn't receive chocolates on Valentines?!" She spat the last word out as if it had an awful bitter taste.

"You disgust me… As for why I gave that Beagle chocolates, well, it's all thanks to you. If you hadn't offend him, he wouldn't have picked on me and he wouldn't have kidnapped it!" Kyouko breathed hard.

"You'd better watch yourself, Shoutaro…"

She spun around and left, leaving Sho staring after her, still holding his cheek, speechless.

How does she manage to somehow put me at blame for everything? Wait…

_Kidnapped…?_

* * *

Kyouko sat in her room at Darumaya, staring at her poster of Shoutaro, which was marked by darts.

_Thuck!_

Another dart hit the poster, right between the eyes of Shoutaro. Kyouko frowned.

_I'm going to make you regret everything you did to me…_

* * *

A/n: Sorry for taking such a long time to post this chapter up. I had writer's block (Heck, I always wanted to say that =) ) and was on holiday the week before. Anyway, the actual filming for the PV should begin next chapter (about time!). Please feel free to tell me what you think about this chapter in a **review**. Reviews really make me shamelessly happy and encourage me to write better =) Anyway, thanks for taking time to read this =)


	5. Act 5: The Story

Skip Beat! Surprise

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: One word - FANfiction

Happy Reading!

* * *

_Once upon a time, there lived a girl. She was kind. She was sweet. She was gentle._

_She was anything but in front of a certain boy. She was disgusted with his manners. Or rather, the lack of it._

_He was brave. He was loyal. He had a kind heart._

_He hated her. Just like how he hated all rich people, which she was. Rich, that is._

_Their first meeting with each other was out on a hill. A quiet, picturesque location, ideal for an afternoon stroll. She was out on a stroll, a maid her only companion, when a gust of strong wind caught the parasol the maid was holding over her, causing it to fly and tumble away, right into that person._

_He caught the runaway parasol out of instinct. But when he saw her running towards him, obviously meaning to take the parasol back, he smirked and let it go. It flew over the edge._

_Then she flew, into a rage. He took no notice of her scolding, and walked off. He had a bad experience with rich people once, and he despised them ever since. _

_She went home, furious, and never wanting to see him again._

_But fate made them meet for the second time. _

_She was out at that same hill, alone this time, picking flowers. She had spotted a particularly attractive flower in the distance and rushed over in delight, not bothering to look where she was walking._

_She stumbled over a hidden stone, and twisted her ankle in the process. Not able to walk at all, she looked around uneasily. It was getting dark and there wasn't anyone around. At least, no one until that guy came. _

_He was walking along when he saw a girl, or more specifically, that rich girl sitting on the ground, her face twisted in pain. He walked towards her._

_Though he hated rich people like her, there was no way that he could pretend he did not see her. He could not walk away from people in need._

_He offered his hand to her, which she snubbed, rather miffed with him still. He sighed, bent down and lifted her in his arms-_

_Rrrip!_

Kyouko stared at the script she was holding in her hands. Or rather, pieces of the script, to be exact.

She had been happily reading the storyline for the PV the director had given her, until she read this part.

_Being carried, princess-style, by Shoutaro?! _

She fumed, not wanting to touch that jerk with a 10-foot pole. But the storyline has been decided and there was really nothing she can do about it. The PV was, after all, to show that Fuwa Sho has a romantic side to him after all.

_Bang._

Kyouko rested her head, rather loudly, on the table.

_What romantic side?! What were they thinking when they decided to do this 'image change'?! Shoutaro must have brainwashed them!_

Kyouko got up hurriedly, her sudden flurry of movement causing the pieces of the script to flutter onto the floor. She rummaged through her bag, before whipping out a "Shoutaro-I'm a jerk!" doll.

She narrowed her eyes, flicking the head of the doll. She then took out a needle from her sewing kit.

"I _*poke*_ am _*poke*_ going _*poke poke*_ to _*poke*_ destroy _*poke poke*_ you _*poke*_, Shoutaro _*poke poke poke*_!"

At each syllable, she gave a vicious stab using her needle at the doll. After venting her frustrations for a while more, she felt much better. She glared at the doll, which was covered with tiny holes.

She pointed to the doll, and declared.

"I will do whatever it takes. Watch out, Shoutaro!"

Maniacal laughter filled the room as her demons swarmed the place, overjoyed at the idea of exacting revenge on that jerk.

* * *

Outside Kyouko's door, Okami-san edged away quietly. She had come to see if Kyouko was all right, seeing how she had been quiet the whole afternoon.

She smiled to herself. It looks as if Kyouko was fine. Weird but considered normal behaviour for Kyouko.

Her husband should be reassured now.

* * *

"Good morning!"

Sho looked up at that familiar bright greeting, and saw Kyouko smiling happily as if they were friends.

_She's actually greeting m-_

"…Shouko-san! How are you this morning?"

Sho slumped further down into his seat, pulling his cap further down his face.

_Tch. It was just Shouko-san she was greeting. No wonder she was smiling. She wasn't even looking this way. Crap._

Shouko darted her gaze back and forth between the two teenagers.

One grouchy and the other extremely happy. Both pretending that they did not see each other.

She gave a small sigh, before smiling at Kyouko.

"Good morning, Kyouko-chan! I'm fine. What about you?"

Both continued making small talk, not bothering to include the seething blond singer beside them.

Thankfully, a crewmember came soon, and informed them that they could board the bus now.

Sho got up and stood in between them, cutting Kyouko out. He placed an arm around Shouko's waist.

He said to her in a low voice, "Shall we go?"

He steered Shouko away, towards the waiting bus, leaving behind a furious Kyouko.

* * *

_Playboy. Jerk. Pig. Playboy. _

Kyouko muttered darkly under her breath.

_How dare he pretend as if I was invisible?!_

A lone angel popped up, wagging her finger at Kyouko, "You can't blame him… After all, you did the same thing to hiiiiiiiiiiii…"

Her demons attacked the angel before she could finish what she was saying.

Kyouko continued muttering darkly, a dark aura surrounded her.

"K-Kyouko-san?"

Kyouko broke off her mental cursing of Shoutaro, and looked up at crewmember calling her.

"I-It's time f-for y-your hair and m-make-up" The poor guy shuddered, not really wanting to talk to 'Mio-sama'. Watching too many episodes of 'Dark Moon' in one sitting does that to a person.

Kyouko brightened up immediately, unaware of the mental anguish she was sujecting the poor guy to, and followed him towards one of the rooms in the villa.

* * *

The villa was situated in a quiet part of Tokyo. It could almost be considered that it was in the countryside. The villa was a quaint building, it had been built almost 50 years ago and the current owners were kind enough to let the filming be done there.

There were two floors to the villa, but more than 10 rooms in there. The filming would take place mainly on the first floor. There was a beautiful garden out at the back, and an even more beautiful field not far from the villa. The entire place exuded a sense of tranquillity.

It was indeed a perfect place to hold the filming of a romance video.

* * *

They were going to shoot the scene where the lady and the guy were having a sweet, private moment together out in the garden first.

Sho, already done with his hair and make-up, sat on the garden swing. He was getting his cue from the director, while waiting for Kyouko to be ready.

_Crap. What is taking that woman so long?! How long do I have to wait still?! Shit… What did she say again…?_

"-wa-san… Fuwa-san… Are you listening?"

Sho just grunted in response.

Kyouka sighed. She had expected this.

"Anyway, just remember: _Sweet._ I want this scene to be as sweet as possible. Have little actions such as tucking her hair behind her ears, smiling… and so on. As long as it shows how romantic you can be, it's good enough."

The director started to leave, then added on, "By the way, my niece enjoyed dinner very much the other night… Thank you." Then she left to brief Kyouko about the scene.

Shouko went over to Sho, who was looking extremely bored. She tried to engage him in conversation to take his mind off things.

"So… dinner was good the other night then?"

Sho shrugged, not bothered to answer. He was not going to say that he did enjoy dinner, a little. Though not enough to make a second date.

_Thankfully, that girl did not have her aunt's looks. At least she had the body… But too annoying, always trying to take photos with me… Tch._

Sho frowned, staring at the ground. Shouko sighed, knowing where Sho's thoughts were now, and left him to discuss things with the director.

_Damn. Just where is that woman?! She's too slo-_

Excited murmurings interrupted his thoughts. Sho looked up slowly and froze at the sight entering the garden.

It was the same during the 'Prisoner' PV. Everyone stared at the girl entering the garden.

Long brown hair flowed down her back, right to her waist. Her face makeup was minimal, only a slight blush and a coating of lip-gloss were needed to bring out the natural beauty of her face. She wore a simple, off-the-shoulder, light blue dress. Everything she had on was simple, but it brought out the feeling that she was a proper lady, an heiress.

In short, she was stunning.

Sho widened his eyes, and shook his head vigorously. He would have slapped himself, but it would have caught people's attention. He looked back to the ground, furious with himself.

_Damn it. It's just makeup. Damn. Stop staring. She's not pretty. She's not pretty. She's not pre-_

Sho glanced up once again, and caught Kyouko's radiant smile when people started complimenting her.

The smile lit up her entire face.

Just like when he had asked her to accompany him to Tokyo.

Sho had a bitter taste in his mouth. He shut his eyes and leaned back, refusing to think of anything.

_Pretty._

* * *

Shouko caught every expression on her young charge's face. She sighed.

When would he grow up?

When would he admit that he does love her still?

"Okay, I think where Fuwa-san's sitting is fine. Kyouko-chan, please go over… Remember what I've told you both. Sweet." The director emphasized on the last word.

Kyouko made her way gracefully to her most hated person's side, and sat down gingerly, cringing as she did so.

"Kyouko-chan!" The director shot an exasperated look in her direction, "Have you forgotten what I had just said? Relax, Fuwa-san is supposed to be your most beloved man…"

Kyouko could not help but grimace, which quickly turned into a frown when the guy beside her snorted.

She took in a deep breath and relaxed her rigid posture. It took all of her control to hold her demons in as she leaned on Sho. In her concentration, she did not feel Sho stiffen for a moment, before placing an arm around her shoulders.

Both, not wanting to 'lose' to each other, had unawaringly fallen into their roles as lovers.

Pleased, the director started rolling the cameras.

A light breeze blew, causing a lock of her hair to fall across her face. Before she could do anything, a hand brushed it back, tucking the wayward lock of hair behind her ear. She looked up at him, and smiled.

A small smile spread across his face as well, as they gazed into each other's eyes. Unconsciously, he held her tighter, burying his face into her hair, inhaling the scent. She held his free hand in both of hers, when he lifted one of her hands, and brushed it with his lips.

She froze.

"Cut!" Frustrated, the director looked right at the statue that was Kyouko. "Kyouko-chan? What's the matter? It was going so well… So wh-"

The director peered closer at Kyouko. The lead actress had yet to move.

"K-Kyouko-chan? A-Are you a-alright?"

Silence.

Murmurs started getting louder.

"Oi!" Sho, sounding annoyed but was actually concerned, waved a hand in front of Kyouko's face.

She started, and blinked.

"Wh-" She looked around, and remembered where she was. Shocked, she shoved Sho away, and got up hurriedly.

Kyouko looked at the concerned and curious faces surrounding her. She gave a low bow.

"I'm so sorry… Truly sorry…"

The director massaged her throbbing temples.

"Kyouko-chan, what's the matter? What you did was perfect, well, until you froze… Are you feeling tired? Stressed? Do you need a break?"

Kyouko could feel tears in her eyes. Horrified, she tried to will the tears away. A hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up into the concerned face of the director.

"We'll take a 10 minutes break…"

Nodding her head rapidly, Kyouko fled the garden.

_Shoot. Why did I do that?! A kiss?! Only on the hand, but still… What were you thinking, Fuwa Sho?!_

Sho slapped his hand to his forehead, frustrated. He knew what was wrong.

Everything was going well, until he kissed her hand.

It had most likely brought back bad memories for her.

* * *

A/n: This is a long chapter, to me at least =) Anyway, it took me very long to write this, but not because of writer's block. It was more like I wrote and rewrote certain parts of the chapter. Also, I wasn't feeling well the past few days. I find the ending rather cliché though, Kyouko running away, again. Sorry. I had fun writing the 'romantic' part between Kyouko and Sho though =) That reminds me.

To IORY: To be honest, I'm still a KyoukoxRen fan. Though I don't mind seeing a ShoxKyouko. No offense to anyone. Basically, I'm a 'anything goes' person, as long as the story is good. As for my story, well, I'm not going to tell =p Heck, I'm not really answering your question right? Sorry, just be patient with me. (And no, I don't hate you for rushing me =) It shows that there are actually people wanting to read my story.)

To Mikai: *recklessly* go ahead, translate all you want =) *calms down* seriously, you may, but there are no guarantees that people would like it. Wait, that would be my fault right? Anyway, go ahead if you want to, if you're sure… =)

To everyone reading this story: Thanks so much for the reviews. They make me super duper happy =) Please feel free to point out any mistakes I made (OOC, too descriptive, too boring) in a **review**. Thanks. I hope you enjoyed reading this. I'll try to update faster =)


	6. Act 6: Their Memories

A Skip Beat! fanfic

Skip Beat! Surprise

Chapter 6

Happy Reading!

* * *

_He stood in a corner, unmoving and helpless. Again. He stood there watching, only watching, as she cried._

_Four. This is the fourth time she had cried this week. _

_He frowned. Though he found her annoying most of the time, he still considered her as a friend, somewhat._

_How could that mother, as if she could be called that, of hers scold her time and again? _

_His shoulders slumped a little. And him, why couldn't he just comfort her? It's not as if he doesn't know how._

_A pat on the shoulder, that's all it takes. _

_A pat on the shoulder. A pat on the shoulder. A pat on the shoulder. A pat on the shoulder._

_He repeated internally, over and over again._

_But he never moved. Not a single inch._

_Six-year-old __Shoutaro__ could only watch on helplessly as __Kyouko__ cried her heart out._

* * *

"_Oi!" _

_Kyouko__ turned,__ a big smile ready as she recognized the voice. _

"_Sho-chan!" _

_Sho frowned, a petulant pout marking his boyish face as he debated internally with himself about doing this._

_Kyouko looked, eyes wide, confused as to what could have made the usually calm and cool Sho so indecisive._

_Sho took in a deep breath, and blurted out._

"_Whatdoyouwantforyourbirthday?"_

_Kyouko continued staring, confused._

_Sho cleared his throat, mentally cursing himself for doing this._

"_What do you want for your birthday?"_

_The 12 year-old girl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open._

"_B-Birthday?"_

"_Tch. Don't make me repeat myself." Sho was already regretting opening his mouth._

_Her eyes shined. It was the first time her Sho-chan had shown any inclination that he wanted to celebrate her birthday._

"_B-But it's not my b-birthday yet…"_

"_Early present"_

"_S-Six months early?!"_

"_Do you want it or not?"_

"_Yes, of course I do!"_

_A blush coloured her cheeks as she pondered over the various things she wanted._

_Sho could not help but shuddered._

_What had he gotten himself into?! What if she wanted him to go on a date with her, or worse, meet her 'fairy friends'?! _

_Why was he doing this again?_

_Oh right. _

_Because he happened to pass by her room the other night, and overheard her sobbing. _

_Over her mother, again. _

_She was having nightmares of the day that woman left her._

_This time, Sho was determined to do something to comfort Kyouko. So he stood his ground, and waited for the horrors to be unleashed upon him. _

_He would go to meet those 'fairy friends' of hers, if it does take her mind of that woman._

_Kyouko's face lit up, and she clapped her hands in delight._

_Sho stopped breathing, and gritted his teeth, while waiting for Kyouko to speak._

"_How about helping out at the inn for one month? No, a week. Actually, even one day is fine!" _

_Silence._

_What?_

_Kyouko misjudged Sho's silence, thinking that he was unhappy. She clasped her hands, and looked at him in earnest._

"_Please? Because Okami-san misses you a lot, Sho-chan! You're always busy with your friends these days and she never sees you… So… Please?"_

_Sho could have smacked himself on the forehead, if it wasn't for the fear of ruining his image. He frowned._

"_It's your birthday present. Why don't you get something for yourself? Not for my mother… You."_

"_B-But, Sho-chan! If it makes your mum happy, why not? She has shown me so much kindness, from taking me in to sending me to school to teaching me ways to run an inn… Besides, I'll be happy, really!"_

_Those puppy eyes of hers looked at Sho, threatening tears if he does not agree. _

_Sho closed his eyes, and nodded his head._

_He tried to comfort her. If this is what she wants, he'll do it._

_At least it wasn't a request to go to a tea party with her 'fairy friends'. He wasn't sure he could stomach that._

_The following week, the young master of the Fuwa Inn surprised everyone by helping out for one week and two days before disappearing as always._

_But to the two certain ladies in the inn, it was enough._

* * *

"_Sho-chan!"_

_Sho did not have to turn to know that Kyouko was here. Kyouko smiled at him._

"_What's the matter, Sho-chan? You could have told me at home…"_

_Hah. As if he could speak his mind at home, what with those old-fashioned parents of his. No, he could only tell her this in school, after school, out of those nosy fan girls' sights._

_Raking a hand through his hair, which was recently dyed blond and had gotten him a severe scolding from his mother, he hesitated. He stared hard at the Sakura tree behind Kyouko._

"_I'm going to Tokyo."_

_Kyouko's eyebrows shot up, and her jaw dropped, visible shocked._

"_T-Tokyo?! B-But…"_

"_I'm leaving. I need to get away from here, from the inn, from Kyoto. It's stifling me. I don't want to inherit the inn and just live out my life like this." Breathing hard, Sho took a deep breath._

"_I'm going to Tokyo. I'm going to become the Number 1 idol in Japan."_

_Kyouko's gaze dropped. She knew that there was no arguing with Sho when he had already made up his mind. Sho could tell that she was on the verge of tears._

_He reached for one of her hands, which were clasped in front of her, and pulled it towards him._

"_Would you… come with me?"_

_She looked up in surprise._

"_W-What?! Me? B-But…"_

_Any objections she might have were lost upon meeting the soft look in Sho's eyes. She blushed a deep red_

"_Yes."_

_Still holding her hand, Sho lowered his head slightly, and brushed his lips across it._

"_Ding Dong." The closing bell sounded, signalling that school was about to close for the day, and all students should leave._

"_Come on. Let's go."_

_Sho released Kyouko's hand and walked off, but not before an angelic smile spread across her face._

"_Yes!"_

_Two weeks later, the quiet neighbourhood in Kyoto was shocked by the news of the disappearance of the young master and future mistress of the Fuwa Inn._

* * *

_Bang._

Sho softly hit his head, repeatedly, on the dressing table. He was alone, of course, in the room assigned to him. Kyouko's dressing room was two doors down the hallway.

He thought back to the time he asked Kyouko to follow him here, to Tokyo. What was the reason for it?

_Because…That's right… It was because of what Okaa-san said._

He thought back to that night.

_He crept softly towards his room. It was past midnight and way past his curfew._

_He did not want to wake anyone up. Especially his mother._

_She would kill him for two reasons. One obviously being way past his curfew and another reason was because his hair was now blond. _

_She would kill him, he was sure of it._

_So he tiptoed, trying to avoid creaky wooden floor planks. Why did they have wooden flooring anyway? _

_Oh right, because they were supposed to be a traditional Japanese inn._

_He always hated traditional stuff._

_He reached his parents' room. A little further more, and he would reach his. He stepped carefully, and paused, upon hearing voices._

"_That boy is getting more and more out of hand these days. Look at the time, and he's still not back!" His father was speaking._

"_Hush, dear… You might wake Kyouko-chan up…" His mother tried to sooth his father._

"_It's high time that boy should grow up. How is he going to inherit the inn if he's like this?!"_

"_You're right dear… I think it's time he should settle down. Everyone knows that Kyouko-chan is learning the ropes run the inn in future, but we've never properly announced it. Maybe we should hold an engagement party… That ought to make that boy learn responsibility…"_

_Sho, hanging on to every word, gulped. He could feel chills running down his spine, even though it was the middle of summer._

_He had been playing with the idea of going to Tokyo, after seeing how the girls, and some guys, react to his mini-performance in school. However, he hesitated when considering his parents._

_Now, he had made up his mind. He was going to Tokyo._

_The only problem being the fact that he was useless when it comes to looking after himself. His mother spoke again, breaking through his thoughts._

"_Speaking of Kyouko-chan, I've recently heard some rumours from the customers. It seems like Sanae-san…"_

_Sho's eyes widened upon hearing the news concerning Kyouko's mother. Shocked, he stepped on a creaky wooden plank, alerting his parents of his presence._

_After receiving a harsh scolding from his parents, an order to re-dye his hair back, and a month of grounding, Sho stomped back to his room._

_He flopped down on his bed, and thought things through._

_He knew what to do now._

_Kyouko was going to Tokyo with him._

* * *

Kyouko was huddled on the couch, giving others the impression that she wanted to become a ball of some sort.

She looked at her hand, _the_ hand. She was furious that Shoutaro had used such an underhanded method to annoy her.

Now she had to do a cleansing ritual for her hand fast, before it rotted.

But it was also the hand, the same hand that held a lot of good memories.

"_Ehhh? Y-You're leaving?!" Six-year-old Kyouko could not believe her ears. Her beloved fairy prince, her Corn, was going to leave Kyoto that very week. _

_In fact, he was going to leave the day after._

"_B-But… You haven't been here long… Can you not leave?" Big, teary eyes implored the boy to stay._

_His golden hair glistened in the sun as he shook his head sadly. A sad frown marred his handsome, princely features._

"_I'm sorry. Father wants to leave soon… He… He has important things to tend to…" Corn's, or rather, Kuon's shoulders slumped forward, presenting a sad figure._

_Kyouko sighed unhappily, "You're right… Your father probably has important things to do in his fairy kingdom. Fairies to govern, meetings to attend… You can't stay back in this ordinary world…"_

_She wondered, briefly, why Corn's lips seemed to be twitching. It looked as if he was going to laugh, but it could not be. She brushed the random thought away, and focused at the matter at hand._

"_Will I ever see you again?"_

_He gazed right at her, an unfathomable expression on his face._

"_Maybe… Maybe not…"_

_Seeing her unhappy face, Kuon got up from where they were sitting, and reached into his pocket. Holding something in one hand, he stretched out his other hand to pull Kyouko up._

"_Here… I'll give you something…" He placed a blue stone in Kyouko's hand._

"_Ehhh…?"_

_He smiled a little at her cute expression. _

"_Here, look…"_

_He showed her the 'magic' of the blue stone. _

_All unhappy thoughts were gone after that. _

_The day before he left, they met for one last time by the little stream._

_Kyouko was already crying, "I-I'm going t-to miss y-you, C-Corn… Don't worry, I'll t-take good care of your s-stone…" _

"_Kyouko-chan…" He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and gave her a hug._

_He then stepped backward, and picked up her hand. He gave it a gentle kiss._

_Kyouko stopped crying, surprised. _

_He cleared his throat, and tried to explain his actions._

"_Eh… In my k-kingdom, it's our way of s-saying g-goodbye…" Kyouko accepted his explanation without doubt. Who was she to argue with the fairy prince?_

"_Goodbye… Kyouko." _

_Kuon left before she could object to him calling her by name._

Kyouko leaned back into the couch, and lifted her hand up to the light, staring at it.

_Bzzzzzt!_

The slight buzzing sound gave her a shock. She looked towards the table, where the sound was originating.

It was her phone. She walked over and looked at the screen.

'No Caller ID' was calling.

"Hello?"

* * *

a/n: I'm so sorry for this late update again. The irony of it: I had the flu virus last week and this week is my computer's turn (caught it from me?) sorry, being stupid here… thankfully, I had my work backed up. Anyway, this is a long chapter as well. I started typing and couldn't stop. To be honest, I have the next few scenes planned out, but it will be too long… so next chapter =)

Anyway, I wasn't so sure if the childhood scene is good… if it seems off, I'm extremely sorry. Feel free to point out mistakes and tell me what you think about this chapter in a **review** =)

Many thanks to my reviewers: The nameless soul, IORY, itachisgurl93, VampireGirl18, eternalLament43, prettychinese15, wiiTneSs, Hinata-cutie, thats absurd. I LOVE IT

Any questions you might have would be answered (hopefully) in the next few chapters, which should be up sooner (hopefully). Basically, being hopeful is a good thing.

p.s: I'm still a little loony here (after effects of flu medication?)


	7. Act 7: The Plan

Skip Beat Surprise

Chapter 7

Happy Reading!

* * *

_Thud!_

The script book landed on the dressing table where Tsuruga Ren threw it. He sat heavily on the couch, and relaxed for the moment in the private dressing room arranged for him. He then leaned forward, placed his head in his hands, and massaged his throbbing temples.

A knock sounded softly on the door and Yashiro walked in, holding out a bottle of water towards Ren. He looked up and accepted it with a quiet "thanks". Yashiro pulled a chair and sat in front of Ren, and surveyed the actor for a moment.

Yashiro then spoke, breaking the rather stifling silence in the room.

"What's the matter with you? Headache? You've been rather quiet the entire morning, even more so than usual…" Ren remained silent, and Yashiro continued to speak. "Is it because of… Kyouko-chan? Is it regarding her new job? Are you worried about her? Why don't you give her a call?"

At each question he threw out at Ren, Yashiro got more and more excited, his eyes twinkling brightly with enthusiasm.

He all but threw his own mobile phone at Ren.

And that was only because his phone was at the repair shop because of an unfortunate accident, where the phone over-heated in his bare hands. In an air-conditioned room.

Silence.

Yashiro gulped, all of a sudden remembering exactly whom he was talking to. Tsuruga Ren looked up and directed a big smile at his manager. The same smile which caused heart palpitations in millions of girls worldwide, and a near heart attack in this poor manager of his. Yashiro gulped, again, and shrank back, shuddering visibly.

"I-I think I-I'll g-go check on the p-progress of the n-next s-scene…" Yashiro got up and walked, briskly, out of the room. He heaved a relieved sigh once he was on the other side of the door.

Ren leaned back into the couch, somewhat relieved that his rather annoying, and yet, remarkably astute, manager was out of his way. He could think properly now.

What had he been worrying about anyway? He shouldn't be worrying about her. Kyouko could take care of herself. He was sure of it.

He thought she should be okay.

He hoped she was all right.

Who was he kidding?

The president's words had been haunting him the past couple of days. Plus the fact that his schedule had been unbelievably hectic, he had not been able to catch even one glimpse of Kyouko for the past two days. It was practically a living nightmare.

Yashiro seemed to be slipping up in his job of ensuring that Ren meets Kyouko at least once a day.

Ren closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind of thoughts.

Thoughts of Kyouko and Fuwa talking happily. Thoughts of Kyouko and that guy smiling and laughing. Thoughts of Kyouko and that jerk holding hands.

Thoughts of Kyouko and the despicable monster kis-

Ren sat up in shock, anger coursing through his body. He took in a deep breath, and tried to calm down, rather thankful that no one, especially Yashiro, was around to see how messed-up he was.

All he wanted now was to see her. Even hearing her voice is good enou-

"Hello?"

Ren blinked in surprise. For a minute there, he thought he heard Kyouko's voice.

"Erm… Hello?"

His jaw dropped. There was no mistaking this voice. Where was it coming from? Where- Wait… Why was he holding his phone?

"Erm… Tsu-Tsuruga-san…?"

There was no doubt now. Somehow, unconsciously, Ren must have taken out his phone and dialled her number.

"Hmm… Still no answer… I wonder if this is one of those prank calls… What should I do? Hmm…"

Ren couldn't help it. He started laughing.

* * *

While Kyouko continued holding her phone, wondering what to do with the call, laughter could be heard all of a sudden. She was rather sure now that it was definitely a prank call, and was deciding to scold the person or just hang up when the person spoke.

"Mogami-san? Sorry about that…"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she realised whom the caller was. Her first guess had been correct.

"Ehhh? Tsuruga-san! W-What's the matter? Why are you laughing anyway?"

A deep chuckle could be heard. Kyouko was amused, wondering what could have made her usually composed sempai so happy.

"It's nothing… I was just thinking… Never mind, it's nothing…" His laughter trailed off and they lapsed into a brief silence until Ren spoke again.

"Mogami-san?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so quiet?"

"… Well, I-I was just waiting for Tsuruga-san to speak. After all, you called me… R-Right?"

Silence. Ren briefly cursed himself silently for not having an excuse ready for that. He cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes… I…I called to find out how your assignment is going. So… How is it?"

He had meant to sound cheery when asking her, but somehow, it came out stronger than intended.

Kyouko froze. Even though it was over the phone, she could practically taste the tension. Her demons shuddered in unison, glad that Tsuruga Ren wasn't in front of them right now. One smile and they'll all be obliterated.

"Mogami-san…?"

Kyouko shivered upon hearing his dark tone.

"I'm sorry!"

Despite the fact that he could not see her, Ren could feel that Kyouko was most likely on her knees, which she actually was. The silliness of the action of kneeling to someone over the phone did not seem to occur to Kyouko. She repeated her apologies once again, and a plaintive sigh could be heard over the line.

"Mogami-san… I do hope you're not on the floor kneeling or something…"

Kyouko looked around the empty room, and felt rather silly. She got up sheepishly and sat back on the couch.

"Mogami-san… Why don't you explained what happened?"

Hearing Ren's deep, reassuring voice calmed Kyouko down, and she started to explain, hesitatingly, the events that occurred that morning.

"…And then, I-I ran away! Tsuruga-san, I'm sorry! I have let you down. I'm a failure as your kouhai!" She sniffed, on the verge of tears.

For a minute or two, there was complete silence, save for Kyouko's sniffling.

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san…?"

* * *

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san…?"

Ren was relieved that nobody was in the room right now, and Kyouko could not see him then. His knuckles were white from being clenched tightly, his jaw aching from being clenched tightly as well, and his posture rigid with anger.

He was unbelievably angry.

That jerk actually touched Kyouko. Kissed her hand. Ren's knuckles, if possible, went even whiter. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san…? A-Are you still t-there?"

It was her voice, always, that calmed him down. He pictured her face, and how she would react if she could see him right now, and managed to let his anger go. For the moment.

He forced out a short burst of laughter, which sounded awkward to his ears.

"Mogami-san… I'm sorry for not replying then. I was… thinking. Mogami-san, you have acted in two dramas thus far. How did you come out with your characters in both shows?"

"I-I had h-help… Tsuruga-san, y-you helped me, r-remember?"

Ren gave a small smile, "Not really. You knew what to do from the start, I just went with the flow."

"B-Bu-"

"Mogami-san, you know what to do, and running away is not one of the options. After all, you are an actress. If it's a role that you have absolutely no experience in, then you would just have to create the role, make it unique, make it yours."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She had heard those words before.

_"Once the 'scene' has been fixed, all you have to do is to create your role. Giving life to the 'role' is the duty of the 'actor' and nobody else."_

Hizuri Kuu's words came back to Kyouko. Father had taught her that before. She clenched her fists, a surge of determination coursed through her body. Shoutaro's presence had messed up her mind, and the only way that she can ever complete this assignment properly was to try and forget what Shoutaro did to her.

Difficult, but not impossible.

After all, as Tsuruga-san said, she was an actress.

"Mogami-san…?"

She jumped slightly, so deep in thought that she had forgotten that she was still on the line with Tsuruga-san. She apologised profusely again. He stopped her with a short laugh.

"It's okay… Mogami-san, I do hope that you'll be able to finish the job properly. I may be slightly disappointed by you running away, but the one you're letting down the most is yourself. So please, do this well and don't repeat the same mistake."

A smile made its way across Kyouko's face. Tsuruga-san was really concerned about her, and more importantly, he wasn't that angry, he was just concerned.

"Tsuruga-san…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Outside Kyouko's room, a figure slunk away.

_Thump!_

He punched the wall, and scrapped his knuckles slightly. Sho had heard most part of the conversation, and saw the smile on her face.

The smile that was once his.

His fingernails left marks on his palm from being clenched so tight, but he paid no attention. He was mad that the disgusting Tsuruga Ren would actually call Kyouko. Was that guy so free? Sho was even angrier at the fact that Kyouko had told that guy everything, and he actually helped her, which earned him that smile.

_Thump!_

Sho punched the wall again. Her smiles belong to him. It always did and it always will.

"Sho! Are you ready? The director wants to star- What happened to your hand?"

Shouko grabbed his hand, and looked at the cuts on it. He wrenched his hand out of her grip.

"It's nothing," He said dismissively, and made his way towards his own dressing room. "Makeup can cover it."

Shouko watched in despair at her young charge's retreating back. Once again, she was struck by the fact of how little she understands Fuwa Sho.

* * *

Kyouko took in a deep breath, turned the knob of her dressing room door, and stepped out. She made her way towards the garden, and sat where she was supposed to. Sho came in slightly later than her, and sat beside her.

The garden swing creaked slightly under their weights as they sat in silence until Kyouko spoke.

"What happened to your hand?"

Sho snorted, "It's none of your business."

A vein started twitching in her forehead. This 'trying to forget what Shoutaro did to her' plan was more difficult than it seems, especially if that guy was going to act like that. She took in another deep breath.

"Does it hurt?"

Sho glanced sideways at Kyouko, rather shocked that she seemed to be showing concern. His jaw dropped open slightly in surprise.

"N-No…?"

Though he sounded unsure of himself, Kyouko seemed satisfied with the answer, and nodded her head. Then the most shocking thing happened.

She turned to him and gave him a small smile.

Kyouko turned away again, and tried to take in deep breaths inconspicuously. Her demons were going wild inside of her, all wanting to get out and attack the guy sitting next to her.

She has to keep them in if she wants to be able to complete her job without another breakdown.

It's only a while more and her job will be over. A while more and she'll be okay. A while more and she can go back to hating Shoutaro.

Just a little while more.

* * *

Shouko, who happened to be standing near the two teenagers, overheard everything. She was amazed at how Kyouko was able to spot Sho's injured hand. It had been covered up so well that Shouko could not even tell.

She, too, was rather surprised when Kyouko smiled at Sho, and quickly looked at Sho's reaction. Everything became extremely clear.

Sho was in love with Kyouko.

It wasn't a matter of him wanting to 'own' her. In contrast, it seemed as if Kyouko had already captured Sho's heart. Now it all boils down to whether Sho is able to capture her heart.

A seemingly impossible task, Shouko mused. Was there anything she can do?

"Okay! We're starting in one minute's time!" The director's voice cut through her thoughts and Shouko walked out of the way, and waited for the show to start.

* * *

"Are you ready? The director wants to start in five minutes' time." Yashiro leaned against the doorframe and looked at Ren.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

The actor got up, brushed his shirt, and made his way out. Yashiro let out a small sigh as Ren walked past him, and paid no attention to his manager. Yashiro shook his head, and wondered why he was trying so hard to bring Kyouko and Ren together anyway.

He glanced absently in the room, trying to see if anything important had been left behind, and caught a glimpse of a plastic bottle on the couch. Yashiro let out another sigh, and walked towards it. Ren was usually never this untidy, leaving rubbish behind.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he picked up the empty water bottle. Yashiro recognised it as the one that he bought for Ren.

But what had happened to the bottle?

It was crushed beyond belief, as if someone had gripped the bottle extremely tight and forgot to let go.

Yashiro was amazed. Was Ren the one who crushed the bottle? Then he shook his head and dropped the bottle into the bin.

It couldn't be. Somebody else had probably left the bottle behind.

After all, the person had to be unbelievably angry to be able to perform such a feat, and it couldn't possibly be Ren. Yashiro couldn't think there could be anything that would make Ren that angry.

* * *

A/n: Oh my goodness! I took so long to put this chapter up. I'm extremely sorry. I was working full-day instead of half-day for the past few days and had no time at all to type this out. Really sorry.

Anyway, I think this chapter came out a little darker than intended. I'm still trying to inject as much humour as possible, after all, Skip Beat! is a humorous manga ^^ Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter, though it doesn't have much Sho and Kyouko moments in here. I would try and focus on writing more of the filming of the PV in the next chapter.

Please feel free to point out any mistakes and tell me how was this chapter like (I think it might be rather boring for some) in a **review** ^^

**Many thanks** to my reviewers:

itachisgurl93, Hinata-cutie, thats absurd. I LOVE IT, Sandi, ViperineVampire, luvikiri

To Sandi: I hope I've made Shouko's actions clearer now =) I didn't realised it was rather vague.

Thanks for reading once again, and I hoped you liked it ^^


	8. Act 8: Their Feelings

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 8

Happy Reading!

* * *

_The actress: Mogami Kyouko, a.k.a. Kyouko. _

_Loves: Fairies, and all things magical. Hates: Beagle, a.k.a a denizen of hell, Fuwa Sho, a.k.a Shoutaro _

_The actor: Fuwa Sho, a.k.a Shoutaro._

_Loves: Himself, styling products, attention, and unknowingly, Mogami Kyouko. Hates: Sweet stuff (especially omelettes), Tsuruga Ren._

_The scene: Lovey-dovey, romantic stuff._

_The problem: Besides the fact that the lead actress hates the lead actor and they were supposed to be doing a lovey-dovey, romantic video together? _

The verdict: One word- Chaos.

* * *

"Okay! We'll be going out to the field for the next scene. So pack up, people!" The director's voice echoed through the living room, where they had just finished a scene were the heiress had an argument with her father, and ran out of the house in tears.

The earlier scene between Kyouko and Sho had been a success. At least, it was smooth-sailing, with only one NG being called out when one of the crew member, female, swooned right in front of the camera. Apparently, she had also fell for the charm of Fuwa Sho.

"Kyouko-chan? Are you all right now? Ready to leave?" Shouko bent down to face the girl, who was sitting on the couch, sniffling back tears.

Kyouko wiped her face, mopping away tears with last few sheets of tissue from the initially full box that they gave her. Sniffing, she looked at Shouko's concerned face.

"Y-Yes. I-I'm so-sorry…"

Shouko, to be honest, was rather amused at how emotional Kyouko was getting just doing this one scene.

Shouko waited for Kyouko, Sho had walked off by himself first, as the girl excused herself, and made her way to the toilet. Shouko stood outside, facing the toilet, when the door opened and Kyouko stepped out, looking much better after dabbing a little water on her face.

Both ladies made their way towards the field, a short walk, in relative silence until Shouko spoke up.

"Kyouko-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Are you feeling all right? I've never seen you cry that badly before… Even during the 'Prisoner' PV, you stopped crying rather fast… So…"

Kyouko managed to, somehow, give a low bow while walking.

"Thank you for your concern, Shouko-san! I'm fine now. I was just too absorbed just now…" She gave a soft laugh. "I guess I always find it sad when children argue with their parents. _Especially when it's over a guy_." She muttered the last bit darkly under her breath.

Shouko glanced sideways at the teenager, laughing slightly, "But… Isn't it always the case? I had a number of arguments with my dad when I was younger. I'm always rebelling against him, going out with guys he disapproved of… I'm sure Kyouko-chan had her share of such arguments as well…"

Her laughter trailed off when she realised Kyouko had stopped walking. Shouko turned, taken aback by the look on Kyouko's face.

Sadness, anger, hopelessness, desolation, and more sadness flitted across the younger girl's face.

Shouko saw Kyouko took in a deep breath, clearing her face of emotions and replacing it with a calm façade. Kyouko continued walking, past Shouko, towards where the others were setting up the cameras, a sad smile on her face. She replied softly, so soft that Shouko might have missed it if she had not been paying attention.

"I'm not sure, Shouko-san. I never had a father."

* * *

"All right people! We'll be doing the scene where the lady is picking her flowers, falls down, and get rescued by the guy. Kyouko-chan, can I see you for a moment?"

Sho watched in silence from where he was seated, a foldable chair brought along just for him, as Kyouko made her way towards the director. She came later than the others, arriving together with Shouko, since she had to get her emotions under control after that argument scene.

He snorted, and shook his head. He could not quite believe how emotional she still is, especially since she usually showed only anger in front of him.

As he was watching the director giving Kyouko her directions for the scene, Shouko came to stand beside him. He glanced upwards for a moment at Shouko, before turning his gaze back to Kyouko.

"Sho?"

Silence, as Sho did not bother to acknowledge whether he heard her. Shouko sighed.

"Have you known Kyouko for a very long time?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "It's just that… I've never heard her mention about her parents before… Just now, she told me that, well, that she did not have a father… So I was just wondering…"

"You _asked_ her?" Shouko looked down at Sho's incredulous face.

"No, of course not… We were just talking about fathers, that's all… And-"

"We shouldn't be talking about this. It's her private matter."

Shouko looked at his guarded expression, and knew there was no point in pressing the issue. But the manager side in her, one that likes and have to know all the details, persisted in asking another question.

"Then… What about her mother?"

Silence, as Sho remained tight-lipped. Shouko was rather annoyed, and was just about to give up and walk off, when his quiet answer came back.

"With that woman, it's as good as none."

Sho got up, leaving Shouko behind to fathom out what his answer meant.

* * *

The lady picked her flowers slowly, leisurely. Choosing carefully, and smiling in delight whenever she picked one that is particularly attractive. A small basket half-filled with flowers swinging from one hand, she continued walking around the area in search of more flowers. She paused, her eyes widening in delight, when an extremely attractive bloom just ahead of her caught her eye. She rushed forward, not caring to look where she stepped, and stumbled over, having tripped over a stone.

Her basket of blooms flew as she fell onto the ground, and twisted her ankle in the process. Tears sprang into her eyes as she bit onto her lips, trying to hold back a scream. She looked around, helplessly, the quiet area, and up at the rapidly darkening sky.

She looked back down at her ankle, rather swollen, and contemplated hopping her way home. She sucked in her breath, tried to stand, and promptly lost her balance. Just as she was about to fall back down, a strong arm gripped hers. She looked at her would-be saviour, starting to smile and stopped short when she saw who it was.

She tried to wrench her arm away from his, but failed. He sighed, placed her arm around his neck and lifted her up.

"Cut! Kyouko-chan, can you be less… stiff? I want you to look slightly shocked and angry, but not… uncomfortable. So just relax in Fuwa-san's arms, please." The director then turned to speak with the cameraman.

Kyouko pursed her lips and frowned in frustration. A snort sounded from above her, and she looked up to see Sho's smirking face. She bit her lips, and stopped herself from retorting.

_Endure, Mogami Kyouko. You can do this. Endure._

"Hold your anger in, Kyouko-sama!" Her demons cheered her on from inside, where they were confined to in order to avoid attacking Sho.

Kyouko took in another deep breath, and tried to wriggle herself into a more comfortable position. As if that was possible in that guy's arms.

Sho made a "Hmph!" sound when Kyouko tried to move about in his arms. He shifted his weight slightly, and somehow, Kyouko ended up pressed right next to his chest. She stiffened yet again, and her fists clenched, as she tried her best to relax in that position.

"Will you stop that?!"

She squinted up at him, "Stop what?!"

Sho glared down at the girl in his arms. "Stop fidgeting! You're not that light, you know." He continued before she could answer back, "And stop your frowning. Your face looks like a prune, all wrinkly and stuff."

She gritted her teeth, and took in another measured breath. She closed her eyes. Enduring those insults he threw at her would be better if she could not see his face.

"Thank you, Fuwa-san, for the advice. I'll keep that in mind." Eyes still shut tight, she replied sweetly back to him.

"Stop that as well!"

All resolve to treat Fuwa Sho better flew out of the window then. Her eyes snapped open and glared at her nemesis.

"Stop what now?!"

Sho smirked, "That's better. Stop that fake gentleness you have going on. It doesn't fool me. Being polite towards me is unlike you."

It was Kyouko's turn to snort now. "So you want me to be impolite towards you?"

"Yea- That's not it. Just be… natural."

"Do enlighten me how, Fuwa-san. I really want to know." Fake sweetness dripped from her words.

"For one, you can stop calling me 'Fuwa-san'. It's disgusting."

"Well, it's your name. How else do you want me to address you, Fuwa-san?" She stared at him, waiting for a reply.

What's with that 'Fuwa-san' business?

"Well, it's your name. How else do you want me to address you, Fuwa-san?"

Sho looked at Kyouko, realising that he had no answer. What did he want her to call him anyway?

_"Sho-chan!"_

The image of a younger Kyouko smiling at him flitted through his mind, and an inexplicable pain shot through his heart. He filled his lungs with air and was about to answer when the director cut in.

"Ok, sorry for the wait! Erm… Fuwa-san? Can you let Kyouko-chan down? We'll start again from where you picked her up. Kyouko-chan, remember to relax yourself."

Sho placed Kyouko lightly down onto her feet. He frowned, as he watched Kyouko straightened her dress, and wondered why he felt so uncomfortable when he let Kyouko out of his arms.

He wondered why he had such an empty feeling in his heart.

He took a step back, away from her as the director had instructed, rather reluctantly. Sho was still bothered by these questions as "Action!" was shouted, but forced himself to focus, as Kyouko managed to play her part properly this time.

He was troubled again when he realised that he actually felt rather happy when Kyouko relaxed in his arms.

Another short break was called as the director reviewed the shots, and Sho sat in his chair, chugging down an entire bottle of water in a few minutes. He stared at the empty bottle in his hand, and tried to figure out what was happening to him. A possibility popped into his mind and he shook it off immediately.

It couldn't be after all.

A small smirk appeared on his face at that ridiculous possibility.

That he was actually in love with Kyouko all this while.

* * *

"Fuwa-san, Kyouko-chan!" Both looked up when their names were called. The director came over to them. "That scene was good. Now, we want to take a few shots of the scenery only, so both of you can walk around the place until we're ready to shoot another scene, the last one before we stop for today."

The director looked expectantly at the young stars' blank faces, smiling slightly before she walked off again.

Sho got up first, and spoke without looking at Kyouko.

"Come on."

"What?"

He let out a huff of breath.

"Are you stupid or something? Isn't it obvious that the director wants us to explore the place together?" He added on before she could protest, "It's also a way for us to learn how to be comfortable with each other for the rest of the filming."

Sho could practically hear the cogs wheeling in Kyouko's mind as she processed her thoughts. She was still rather transparent, in some aspects, and he could see right through her.

_Good. That's the way it's supposed to be._

Sho led the way, as Kyouko got up reluctantly and followed slightly behind him.

_That's right. I'm the one who knows her the best. Not that jerk._

His jaw clenched as an image of Tsuruga Ren came into mind.

_It has been that way. And will always be._

Both continued walking silently along, lost in their individual thoughts, unaware that they were making their way to a wilder part of the field, where trees enveloped them.

Back at where the crew were, the director looked up suddenly from the screen. She just remembered that she forgot to tell her both actors to be careful of where they were walking, since that it had been raining the past week, and certain parts of the field were rather mushy.

She shrugged and went back to her screen. Her actors should know how to take care of themselves, after all.

There should not be any need for worry.

* * *

A/n: Heck, I took forever to update this. I'm so sorry! Seriously though, work has been rather busy, and there's just no time to type out. Sorry. By the way, school's starting next week (nursing, anyone? ^^) and it'll probably more hectic. I'll try my best to update as fast as possible. Not only that, I kept on rewriting certain parts over and over again.

About this chapter, I went deeper into Sho's feelings and I have no idea how it turned out. So please, feel free to tell me what you guys thought of this chapter in a **review**. By the way, I actually adapted the environment to try and fit my story. So if you guys find it funny that there's a "wilder part" in a field, I apologize in advance. The PV's storyline sounds rather cliché right? I just realised that. Sorry.

**Once again, many thanks to my reviewers ^^**

The nameless soul, coofoo, itachisgurl93, prettychinese15, michelle, leavesfallingup, okinawa haruhi, Nine Days a Queen, Shadow Kitsune67, Stephenie Rice, marian03yu

Hope you guys liked this chapter and please review and let me know what you thought of it ^^


	9. Act 9: Their Dilemma

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 9

Happy reading!

Thanks- For okinawa haruhi, and her very long review =p

* * *

"We're lost."

Sho continued walking, pretending not to have heard Kyouko's words. A vein started twitching in her forehead, Kyouko gritted her teeth and repeated her words, slightly louder.

"We're lost."

He stopped, turned to glare at her before turning back. "No, we're not."

"Yes, we are."

"Not."

"Yes."

"Not."

"Yes."

"Not."

"…" Kyouko fumed silently. There was no way that Sho would ever admit he was wrong. Instead, she lifted the dress slightly, lifting the hem off the slightly muddy ground and stormed her way towards Sho. She stopped right in front of him, and glared.

"Then kindly tell me where we are right now, Fuwa-san."

Sho turned his face away, and crossed his arms across his chest. "Why should I tell you? Figure it out yourself." He pushed Kyouko aside and resumed walking.

She shook a fist at him, gritted her teeth and followed him unwillingly.

_Crap._

Sho cursed silently. Kyouko had been right. They were lost, and he had no idea where he was going.

Muttering darkly under his breath when he stumbled, for the fourth time, over a hidden tree root, Sho finally stopped to observe his surroundings. He had been so caught up in his thoughts a while ago that he did not see where he was going. Sho squinted, turning his head left and right, trying to see through the thick foliage. The rapidly darkening sky was not helping either.

"Oi!" Sho called, not bothering to turn around and address Kyouko properly. "Can you see what's that ahead?"

Silence, save for the rustling of the leaves.

"Tch. Did you hear what I sa-" Sho turned, and stopped. No one was behind him.

_Crap._

He stood rooted to the spot, his heart thumping fast. He remembered that Kyouko was still behind him a while ago, muttering to herself. Sho frowned, thinking hard. After a while, there was only silence and he assumed that Kyouko had gotten tired of talking to herself.

His heart still beating fast, Sho took brisk steps back towards where he came from.

"Kyouko!"

* * *

"Curse you! Shoutarooooo!"

Kyouko growled and began to, once again, tug her heels out of the mud, taking clomping steps towards the nearest resting place she could see, which was an exposed root of a tree. Panting slightly, she reached the root and sat down heavily. She looked down at her shoes, and sighed.

"What a waste. The shoes were so pretty." She narrowed her eyes, and muttered. "This is all that stupid Shoutaro's fault. I don't believe this! He actually went off without me! Argh!"

Kyouko continued muttering to herself, and her demons swarmed out, circling her.

"_What a nice delicious dark aura! Kyouko-sama, we shall take revenge on that guy for you!"_

She clenched her fists, muttering, "If you want to help me, find the way out of here! Mo!"

Her demons hung their heads in unison, remorseful looks on their faces.

"_We're sorry, Kyouko-sama! However, we don't have much sense of direction. We only find our way by detecting dark auras. So sorry, Kyouko-sama!"_

Kyouko sighed, her shoulders slumping forward. "Mo! How am I ever to get out?! Shotaroooo! You'll pay for this! Mo!" Then unexpectedly, she giggled.

"Mo! I'm starting to sound like Moko-san!" The grin on her face grew as she thought of her beautiful best friend. She sighed, a wistful look on her face.

"Moko-san! Help me out here!"

* * *

Back at LME, carrying out her usual duties as a Love-Me member, Kanae sneezed. Kanae paused for a moment, her arms full of documents that needed photocopying, and briefly wondered if she was catching a cold.

She shrugged and continued on her way. Maybe she should wear a mask, just in case.

* * *

Kyouko, still sitting on the tree root, muttered darkly under her breath. It was getting colder by the minute, and not to mention, it looked as if it was going to rain. Kyouko growled, frustrated, and peered around her surroundings.

How was she ever going to get out of there?

She looked around, wondering if she should just get up and walk around. Either find a way out or to find the jerk. Kyouko got up and took hesitant, clomping steps through the mushy ground. She stopped, and look around once again, wondering which direction she should head in.

Just as she was about to take another step, a flash of gold caught her eye. Kyouko stopped, her eyes widening, as she peered towards the direction where she saw it.

Another flash of gold, as the dimming light rays reflected the colour. Kyouko stood, frozen, as she made out a figure walking towards her.

Maybe it was the fact that she was in the woods, where Kyouko would so often call out to her fairy friends in the past. Maybe it was the fact that she was extremely tired from all the walking and the cold was getting to her.

Kyouko stared, memories of the past surfacing, as the golden-haired figure pushed its way through the bushes. Kyouko, a small smile unknowingly making its way across her face, whispered.

_"Corn…"_

The spell broke as the person stumbled through the bushes. Kyouko stared, now balefully and rather disappointed, as she watched Sho brushing leaves off his clothes and hair.

"YOU!"

Sho, unconcerned, continued tidying himself up. Kyouko stormed, as fast as she could in the mushy ground, towards the singer. After a while, and pulling her heels out of the mud quite a few times, she reached him and poked a finger in his chest, glaring.

"You! You left me behind!" She narrowed her eyes, and continued. "Not that you have not done that before. But it's your entire fault. Now my clothes are ruined, and not to mention it's going to…"

A drop splattered on her hand. She glowered at it, and then directed her gaze back to the singer.

"… rain."

Sho glared at Kyouko, a vein started twitching on his forehead. "You got lost first, all right?! _I_ had to come back and get _you_." He narrowed his eyes at her as well, and continued. "And what do you mean that 'I left you behind'?! I brought you to Tokyo, because-" Sho stopped abruptly.

Kyouko crossed her arms, and smirked, "Because? You needed a maid? Because Fuwa Shotaro could not take care of himself?"

He frowned, and turned his face away, "Whatever. We need to get to a shelter." Without another word, Sho reached out to grab Kyouko's wrist, pulling her along with him. When she struggled to remove her wrist from his grab, Sho only tightened his grip, not letting her go as he made his way towards a shelter he stumbled across while looking for her.

* * *

_Crack!_

Kyouko watched, as Sho broke another twig into half and threw the pieces onto the ground, where they joined the steadily growing pile of twigs. She continued staring, as he broke yet another twig and threw it down. Finally, she spoke up, unable to stand the continuous cracking sound.

"What are you doing? Making a nest for yourself?"

_Crack!_

The twig in his hand broke, as Sho turned back and shot her a murderous glare. He gritted his teeth, and answered, "No, I'm starting a fire."

She snorted. The sound earned her another murderous glare from Sho. He threw the twig he had in his hand in her direction, which landed at her feet. He smirked when Kyouko glared at him, and spoke to her in a challenging tone.

"Why don't you try starting a fire?" He taunted, and continued, "I'm sure you won't be able to."

She clenched her fists, and got up from her sitting position, unable to back down from a challenge. Much less one from her number one enemy. He demons swarmed around her as she went towards him, evil grins on their faces as they planned to help their master. Kyouko stooped slightly, in order to avoid bumping her head on the low ceiling overhead.

The 'shelter' that Sho found for them was under a protruding ledge from a rock wall. It was not the best place to take cover from the heavy rain, but it was the closest thing they had to a shelter, and the surrounding foliage prevented most of the rain from reaching them.

Shoving Sho aside, Kyouko squatted down and arranged the pile of twigs on the ground. She looked around and grabbed several dead leaves on the floor and added them on as well. Then she picked up two stones and starting knocking them against each other. She continued this for a few minutes, to no avail.

"Pfft." Kyouko turned and glared at Sho, who was busy snickering. Sho shook his head, smirking. "See? I told you so. It's not as easy as it seems." He reached forward for the stones, and added on. "Give me."

Sho only just touched her hands when Kyouko scooted away, glaring fiercely at him. "Don't touch me!"

A vein started throbbing in his temple when Kyouko shouted at him. He looked at her, an annoyed expression on his face. "Why?! I don't have any infectious disease!" He moved closer to her, and continued. "Tch. I shall touch if I want to!" He made to grab her hands, when Kyouko kicked him away. She stared, furious.

"Stay away, you perverted ass!"

Her avoiding him made Sho want to grab hold of her all the more. He lunged forward, and she dodged. This continued several more times, until both stopped, panting slightly. Sho grounded his teeth, unwillingly to let this 'fight' end in a draw, or worse, a loss. He smirked and pointed off to a corner, playing on Kyouko's weakness.

"Look at that _fairy_!"

She gasped, her eyes shining, and looked towards the corner in search of the fairy. A glint in his eyes, Sho crept forward, and slipped, accidentally tripping over a stone. Instead of just touching her hands as he planned, Sho ended up giving the unsuspecting Kyouko a shove.

Into the pouring rain.

Her eyes widened, as she landed on her butt. Kyouko looked down in disbelief at the mud she was splattered with. Her eyes narrowed as she stood up slowly, her voice shaking with anger.

"Shoootaaaroooo!"

He gulped and took a step back. The last time he had seen her this angry with him was when he slapped her, and accidentally scratched her face. And during then, he had Shouko-san and the security guards with him. He took another step back. He was on his own this time.

Totally drenched, Kyouko stepped forward, her eyes flashing with anger and her hair practically floating around her. She looked like a mad woman bent on murdering someone.

He gulped and took another step back, no doubts on who her target was. He raised his hands up in defence, as Kyouko stalked forwards.

"L-Look, it was an accident! I-I didn't mean too! I'm sorry, okay?!"

Kyouko glared, unappeased with the apology, and lunged forward. Grabbing his shoulders, Kyouko wrestled with him, intent on throwing Sho out into the rain as well. Both rolled on the ground as Sho tried to fling Kyouko off, without results. The actress had a death grip on him. After a while, with a kick, she achieved her goal.

Sho landed on his back on the mud in the pouring rain. He hurriedly got up and took cover again. Both exchanged murderous looks before settling into their respective corners, away from each other.

Both were too tired to do more.

* * *

Both Sho and Kyouko sat, shivering in their wet clothes, looking as if they both had been mud wrestling. Despite all their efforts, the useless pile of broken twigs refused to catch fire, leaving them in near-darkness, and cold. Here and then, Sho shot furtive glances towards Kyouko, whose back was to him.

Feeling rather irritated, Sho wondered if Kyouko was fine. Sho ran a hand through his hair in frustration, feeling mainly irritated with himself. It seems like he could never keep his emotions in check whenever she was around. Just like what Shouko-san had said.

_"You know, whenever something concerning Kyouko-chan comes up, you become different. You become…well, reckless or something."_

He covered his ears, trying to block out his thoughts. If he had kept his emotions under control, he would not have done all those childish things, and ended up pushing her into the rain. And he himself would be dry right now. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud growl.

Frowning, he looked around, and wondered out loud. "There should not be any wild animals around here, right?"

There was another growl, and he turned to see if Kyouko had heard it as well, only to realise that it was coming from her. He rolled his eye, smirking. "It's you. You're hungry."

Holding onto her stomach, Kyouko responded testily, "Why should you bother?! It's not as if you care!"

"I-" Sho stopped, his jaw slackening as her words hit him.

_I care? Do I?_

Taking his sudden silence as proof, Kyouko continued, "You don't care at all. You never even give your parents a call yet! And to think that Okami-san actually fell sick worrying over you!"

Sho looked at her in surprise, "Wait. You've been in contact with my parents?!" Then her other words hit him, Sho moved towards Kyouko, and grabbed her shoulders. "My mum is sick?! H-How? What? Is she okay?!"

Kyouko struggled to remove his hands, and failing which, she glared at him. "She's fine now. It was only a mild cold. I'm not in contact with them now, but I did send them letters in the past, when we first arrived in Tokyo. They _knew_. Your parents had an idea what you were going to do, and yet, they let you." She lowered her eyes, a sad expression on her face, and added on softly.

"You don't know how lucky you are to have such good parents. But you never cared. Not a bit."

Sho released his grip on her, feeling rather guilty. Kyouko was right. He had never considered about his parents, and much less, her feelings on being brought and then dumped in Tokyo.

There was a strange feeling in his chest as he observed Kyouko's sad expression. He reached out a hand, wanting to comfort her.

His hand was halfway to her face when a sudden glare of light shone at both of them. They looked up, surprised, into the familiar faces of the crewmembers. Kyouko jumped up, delighted, as she rushed forward. Sho got up, slower, unsure if he should be happy or upset that help came before he went and did something out of character and actually comforted Kyouko.

"Tch." He waved away the crewmembers' pesky questions of whether he was all right and observed Kyouko instead, who was wrapped with blankets and smiling like a fool.

As they made their way out, the rain started to let up, turning into a drizzle. Sho walked, slightly behind Kyouko, and repeated to himself what Kyouko said a while ago.

_Do I really care about her?_

* * *

A/n: Wow. Such a late update. But as I said, I have been busy with school (It's quite fun ^^). I wonder if people still read this fic…

Well, I really went deep into Sho's emotions and I hope I got it right. If you think it's OOC, please tell me, so I can improve. I would really appreciate it. This fic was actually in the bad fanfic community, under OOC, for a few days. Then it's not. So I have no idea what to think! Please help me out here.

**Review** and help me improve. Constructive criticisms and compliments (hehe ^^) are all accepted. No flames, though.

Other than that, I had fun writing their fighting and so on. ^^ I hope you guys enjoyed it as well, and I hope it's not too lousy for you.

**Huge thanks to all the reviewers ^^ Your reviews allowed me to write this chapter ^^**

itachisgurl93, yukino-sohma831, coofoo, okinawa haruhi, eternalLament43, LaughingAngelsGibberish, Anonymous, marian03yu, Faenea, Samantha Rice, Pateo, restive silence


	10. Act 10: The Other Side

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 10

Happy Reading!

NOTE: it seems that ffn deleted my dividers in my previous chapters, so major editing is needed. Thanks to Shiroyuki76 who pointed it out.

* * *

"_Ah-Choo!"_

Sniffing somewhat pathetically, Sho grabbed the box of tissue, reached deep inside and took out the last few sheets. Blowing his nose loudly, he groaned and stretched out on the sofa.

Following the fiasco yesterday, the production team decided to take the next two days off. Fortunately.

Especially since he caught a cold.

_No thanks to her. Tch._

Replaying yesterday's events in his mind, Sho closed his eyes and groaned again, feeling as if he was dying.

"It's just a cold. You don't have to be so dramatic about it." Shoko placed a mug on the coffee table. "Here, drink this."

He eyed the glass suspiciously, coughing, "What is that?"

"Honey Lemon Tea." She turned and made her way back into the kitchen. "I heard it helps to make you feel better." Shoko continued to talk as she rummaged in the kitchen, "You should be grateful that the director is rather understanding and…"

Sho tuned her out, his attention focused on the mug.

"_Sho-chan! Are you all right?"_

_Worried eyes were trained on him, her hands busy submerging the towel into the basin of water and wringing it. She placed the towel on his forehead, gently pressing it down. She then patted his face; her hands cool against his feverish skin._

"_You really should not push yourself too hard. After all, Akatori Agency just accepted you right?"_

"_It's Akatoki!" Sho coughed, and sat up, pushing Kyouko's hands away. "And it's precisely because I just got accepted that I can't afford to fall sick now." He breathed heavily, the room swaying as he got to his feet. "I need to prove myself. You wouldn't understand!"_

"_Sho-chan!" She appeared to be on the verge of tears._

"_Don't be such a crybaby!" He pressed his hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. "Where's my guitar?"_

_She gave in quietly, hovering worriedly from a distance as he strummed a few chords and wrote them down. She went to the kitchen instead, and prepared a meal for him._

_Sho immersed himself in his music, completely forgetting about the fact that he was ill. He ignored the mug of drink that she prepared for him._

_Honey Lemon Tea, he scoffed inwardly. Like it has any effect._

"…ho! Sho!" He blinked, and looked at Shoko, who had an irritated expression on her face. "Is that anything that you like to eat? I'm calling for take-out."

_Chestnut pudding. Like I'll ever admit._

"Not hungry." He turned his back on Shoko and pulled the blankets over himself, trying to get the image of her worried, amber eyes out of his mind.

* * *

_"Ah-Choo!"_

_Baka Shoutaro! This is your entire fault! I'm going to haunt you forever if I die!_

Kyouko groaned and shifted uncomfortably in her futon, coughing. A knock sounded lightly on her door.

"Come in." She replied, sneezing again.

"Kyouko-chan, are you feeling better?" A cool hand pressed upon Kyouko's forehead, and the landlady's worried face came into her view.

"Ah! Okami-san!" Kyouko coughed and tried to sit up, but was stopped by the landlady.

"It's okay." She smiled, "Just lie back down and rest. Do you want anything to eat?"

"Okami-san…" Kyouko sniffed, feeling warm and well cared for.

"What's with the look on your face?" The landlady laughed lightly at the sight of Kyouko sniffing and trying to hold back her tears. "You're like our child and it's normal for a mother to fuss over her kid, right?"

Kyouko's eyes darkened, a memory from her past came up at the landlady's words.

_"Mother…" Kyouko coughed, shivering slightly._

_"Don't come near me with your germs!" Sanae's eyes flashed a warning to her daughter. "And no going to bed until you finished those questions!" Her manicured finger pointed to a stack of assessment books._

_Kyouko sniffed, forcing back her tears, knowing how much her mother hated her crying, and picked up her pencil._

_It was little surprise that she fainted from exhaustion a couple hours later. And even then, it was the Fuwa couple who brought her to the local hospital._

"…ouko-chan? Kyouko-chan? What's the matter?"

Kyouko looked into the worried eyes of the landlady, who had so kindly taken her in when she was at one of her lowest points in life and treated her like a daughter, and smiled, tears rolling out freely.

"Kyouko-chan! Does something hurt?" The landlady was flustered.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing…" She shook her head, smiling and crying at the same time. She sniffed, "Okami-san, thank you."

The older woman's heart melted at the young girl's thanks. Kyouko, in such a short period of time, had become so dear to this couple.

"AH!"

The landlady blinked in surprise. The girl sat up in a sudden motion, and turned to the landlady.

"Okami-san, can I borrow the phone? I had forgotten that I have filming for 'Dark Moon' tomorrow!"

* * *

"All right, all right… I'll inform them for you." Sawara Takenori sighed as the girl rambled on in his ears. "It's okay, no need to thank me."

_It's just that I'll be cursed if I don't help you._ He doodled on the note pad in front of him, listening patiently to the young actress on the other of the line, until she started coughing.

"You should stop talking and get some rest now." Sawara gently berated Kyouko, "I understand. Get well soon." He hung up the phone, letting out a sigh.

"Was that Kyouko-chan?" Sawara leaned back in surprise as Yashiro's excited face came into view.

"Ye-Yeah…" Sawara inched backwards as Yashiro's face practically shone with delight, before a scheming look took over his face.

"What did Kyouko-chan say?"

"It's confidenti-" Intending to not answer Yashiro, Sawara gulped and changed his mind when he saw the mobile phone he left on the table in Yashiro's bare hands.

"10…9…8…"

"My phone! W-Wait, Yashiro-san…" Sawara tried to grab the phone in futile.

"5…4…"

"Ok! Ok! She's ill and won't be coming in tomorrow for filming of 'Dark Moon'!"

"Yes! Thank you, Sawara-san!"

A triumphant look came over Yashiro's face, and he placed the phone back down, which the older man hurriedly picked up to check for damages. Seeing that everything is fine, Sawara looked up to see Yashiro skipping out of the office.

_What did I do to offend him?!_

* * *

Yashiro Yukihito sighed for the seventh time, and this in turn caused his charge to give a little sigh of his own.

"Yashiro-san, if you have something to say, just go ahead." The tall actor flipped through the pages of his script. "You have been acting awfully depressed since you came back from the office."

_This takes all the fun out of it. But, oh well. _Yashiro pouted, knowing that to get Tsuruga Ren to ask him would be as easy as stabbing a rock with a toothpick. He leaned forwards, and spoke.

"I just found out that Kyouko-chan wouldn't be coming for filming tomorrow."

A heavy silence hung over the room.

"… And?" Ren flipped to the next page of his script.

A mischievous grin spread across Yashiro's face. "Do you want to know more?"

Quiet except for the flipping of the pages. "Only if you want to tell me."

"Eeh…?" Yashiro sighed again, wanting to make the young actor speak his mind, "Poor Kyouko-chan…" More sighing.

Though he was itching to know more, Ren was not about to ask Yashiro directly. He flipped through his script, his eyes not taking in any words.

Yashiro counted the seconds, wondering how long it would take Ren to open up. Ten seconds went by and Yashiro exploded.

"All right, all right. I'll tell you!" Ren hid a smile, knowing his manager, who cannot keep secrets for long, well.

"Kyouko-chan's ill. So she's taking these two days off." Yashiro crossed his arms, slightly irritated by how easily he caved in. "I wonder why? Could it be because of her other assignment? Hmm…"

As Yashiro pondered silently, Ren stopped flipping through the script, a dark look in his eyes. He knew that Kyouko's other assignment was with that guy, so what happened between the two of them? Why was she ill? He desperately wanted some answers.

"I know! Ren, why don't you go over and visit Kyouko-chan tonight?" Ren hid another smile. Trust his manager to help him out. "I've checked your schedule. You end at seven tonight, so you can go over after that!"

A cheeky grin on his face, Yashiro patted Ren on the back. "Isn't it great? You get to see Kyouko-chan later. I know! I'll get something for her on your behalf. Remember to show your concern properly. After all, she took good care of you when you were sick."

Satisfied that he settled everything nicely, Yashiro skipped out of the room, creating a list of items to buy for Kyouko.

Ren looked with amusement at Yashiro's skipping figure, and leaned back into the couch, staring at the ceiling. He was going to get some answers tonight.

* * *

Gravel crunched under the tires as the car pulled up in front of Darumaya and the soft purring of the car silenced as the engine was cut. A tall figure stepped out of the car, a huge bundle in his arms, and closed the door with a little difficulty. He looked at the Darumaya sign and stepped towards the store.

"Ah! I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night!" The landlady bowed apologetically at the man who just stepped in. She looked up, curious, when the tall stranger did not move.

The man then spoke up, "I'm sorry." He balanced the bundle in one hand, and reached up with the other to remove the cap that was obscuring half of his face. The landlady gasped in surprise, a light blush spread across her face, as she saw whom the person was.

"Tsu-Tsuruga Ren-san!"

Ren nodded his head, a small smile on his face, as he greeted blushing landlady and the ever-unchanging face of Taisho.

"Good evening, I'm here to visit Mogami-san. Is she here?"

* * *

A/n: Late update, I know. To those who are still following me throughout this story, thank you. To those who are new to it, thanks for reading it ^^

I never expected this story to go past 6 chapters, and we're at 10 now. I wonder how far this will go… My story is not based solely on Sho and Kyouko, but also on other characters as well, in case you're wondering.

Reviews are greatly appreciated =) Thanks to itachisgurl93, leavesfallingup, Hinata-cutie, eternalLament43, okinawa haruhi, DREAMLYN-LA-DY-BUG-, Spazz, Debbie Lynn Cooerrider, Katmonty, sheep-san is here to stay

Thanks for the reviews, I hope to write more and better for each and every chapter as we go on. Criticisms, suggestions are greatly appreciated =)

P.S: Interested in a Skip Beat! fanfic award? Head over to the forum =)


	11. Act 11: Their Inner Turmoil

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 11

Happy Reading!

* * *

She lay in her futon, staring up at the ceiling. She sighed, placing her arm across her forehead, and coughed. Her body was aching from her tussle with that guy the day before and her cold made her head ache. She closed her eyes, and tried to sleep, feeling rather miserable. A memory came into her mind instead: A quiet forest, gentle breeze, and rays of sunlight penetrating through the trees and highlighting his golden hair.

"Corn…" Kyouko opened her eyes, missing the fairy prince from her childhood. She sighed again before sitting up in a hurry, her eyes lighted up in delight. She threw the thick blankets aside, and crawled out towards a corner of her room, where her things were neatly kept. Digging through her bag, she brought out her purse and dropped its content into her palm, clutching it tightly to her chest.

Kyouko went back and sat in her futon, smiling to herself. She held the stone between her fingers and held it up against the light, admiring its bluish colour. She could feel all her unhappiness practically draining away.

"Corn…"

A knock sounded on her door, startling her, and causing her to drop the stone onto her futon.

"Come in." Kyouko called out, while she searched for her stone between the blankets.

The door slid open a fraction, and the landlady looked in hesitantly.

"Kyouko-chan? Sorry to disturb your rest, but you have a visitor." The door slid open further and Kyouko looked in surprise at her visitor.

"EEH? T-Tsuruga-san?"

* * *

The both of them sat across each other, a steaming cup of tea placed in front each of them by the landlady who had left the room rather hurriedly. Kyouko looked downwards, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously in the awkward silence.

Her most-esteemed sempai had taken time out of his busy schedule to visit her, and she was only having a common cold. Just as she was prepared to beg and grovel for his forgiveness, making Japan's Number One Actor come all the way just for his insignificant kohai, he spoke up.

"Mogami-san…"

"Yes!" Kyouko sat erect with attention, cold sweat running down her back.

Tsuruga Ren was looking around her room, an amused look on his face. He looked at her and placed a hand on his forehead, a small smile on his face.

"I'm embarrassed…"

Kyouko stared at him in confusion.

"To think that you're a fan of mine. Having my posters on your wall and even those dolls that look amazingly like me… Miniature versions of what you gave Maria-chan for last December."

She blinked, and turned a fiery shade of red, realizing that he saw the dolls she made (to make fun of him), and the poster on her wall. She froze, another realization hitting her.

Shoutaro's poster and mini-dolls were also there.

She gulped, laughing nervously. "Y-You're m-mistaken… I, I…"

"But I see you also have Fuwa's posters and dolls as well…" She shrivelled under his gaze.

Seeing how uncomfortable Kyouko looked, Ren sighed and dropped the matter for the moment. "Well, you don't really have to explain now." He took a sip of his tea. "Besides, I'm here to see if Mogami-san is feeling better. Ah, and before I forget…" Ren reached for the huge basket of items and pushed it across the table.

"Yashiro-san is also concerned for your health. Please feel better s-" He stopped, and stared at Kyouko, who had tears running down her cheeks. "Mo-Mogami-san! What's the matter? Are you feeling all right?"

She sniffed, looking at him with big, teary eyes. "Tsuruga-saaaan! I'm sorry. I'm such an ungrateful kohai to have made you come all the way here for me! Please, feel free to punish me however you like!"

Ren resisted laughing as he looked at the girl, the only one who can make him feel so exasperated, worried and yet happy at the same time. Kyouko started coughing, turning away as she coughed continuously.

"Come on, you should be resting." She felt a warm, firm grip on her arms and sniffed again as Tsuruga Ren helped her back to bed.

* * *

He sat next to her, and pulled the covers up when something rolled onto the floor and caught his attention.

"Ah! Corn!"

He felt his heart skipping a beat at the familiar sound. Before Kyouko could reach over to catch hold of it, another hand picked the precious stone up.

"Ah!" Kyouko looked on as Ren raised the stone up towards the light, and watched as the stone changed colours.

"Y-You remembered?" She looked slightly surprised, but happy.

"Didn't you just say?" Ren passed the stone back to her, who held it carefully in her hands. "Corn, right?" There was a twinkle in his eyes, which she missed. "Your fairy prince gave it to you, right? This _magical_ stone."

She looked up indignantly at his teasing tone. "I know. Tsuruga-san doesn't believe in what I said." She looked at her precious 'Corn' lovingly, and Ren had an indescribable urge to hold her in his arms. His fists clenched tight and he looked away for a moment to focus his thoughts.

"Mogami-san." Kyouko looked up, and blinked when she came face-to-face with the small, gentle smile on her sempai's face. "It's getting late. I should get going and you can get your rest."

Her brain seemed to have short-circuited from that smile, and she nodded her head numbly. "Ah! I-I'll see you out…"

Ren only pushed her gently back into her bed and covered the blankets over her. "It's okay." He placed a hand on her forehead. "At least it seems that your temperature is back to normal.

"Good night, Mogami-san."

"G-Good night, Tsuruga-san."

* * *

He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He stood there for a while, his back against the door, and sighed softly. He just could not press her for answers when she looked so vulnerable and fragile as she did.

His questions could wait. He looked back, a small smile on his face, and whispered.

"_Rest well, Kyouko-chan." _

* * *

She tossed under her blanket, trying to remove the image of Ren's smile from her mind and the feeling of his hand on her forehand. She sighed, and her face felt inexplicably warm. She shook her head vigorously, and pressed her eyes shut, blaming it on her fever.

She soon fell asleep, to dreams of fairies, castles, and her fairy prince.

* * *

_He let go of the parasol in his hand, smirking, as the wind blew it out of reach. The girl in front of him gasped, and stormed towards him._

"_You little-"_ She jumped and grabbed him in a chokehold, her demons swarming around her, lending her strength and cheering her on.

"Cut! Stop!" The director looked up in horror. "K-Kyouko-chan!"

Kyouko was oblivious to her surroundings, rather caught up in her anger with Sho. It took two burly cameramen to drag her away. Sho coughed, massaging his throat. It was not unlike the experience during the filming of [Prisoner].

"What is your problem?" Sho rasped, breathing hard.

They were having their final outdoor shoot today, while the rest of the scenes would be filmed in the studio. The director placed the clapper in front of Kyouko, and clapped it down several times, having heard and witnessed this weird behaviour of hers before. After a moment, Kyouko blinked, and looked into the concerned faces of the crew.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry!" She bowed, repeating her apologies.

The director sighed, "Well, the one you have to apologise to is Fuwa-san… Why don't we take five minutes' break? I'm sure both of you need some rest."

A vein started twitching at the side of her forehead when she realised she had to apologise to that guy.

"And Kyouko-chan?"

"Yes?"

"I hope you won't lose control of your emotions again."

* * *

_I don't believe this. Just when we started filming again, she loses control. _Sho leant into his chair, taking a gulp of water. _And wasn't she also sick? Where does she get her strength from?_

He took another swig from the bottle, massaging his throat. He shot an irritated look at Shouko, who was hovering near him, stealing glances at him now and then.

"I'm fine! There was no way that girl could have hurt me even if she tried."

Shouko sighed. If Sho could insult people like that, then he was most likely fine. Before she could speak, she saw Kyouko making her way towards them, an unhappy look on her face.

"Well, I guess I'll leave the two of you alone."

"Huh? Wha-?" Sho looked up, and realised what Shouko was referring to. "Tch." He looked away, folding his arms.

Praying that the two young stars don't kill each other in her absence, Shouko smiled at Kyouko, and quickly made herself inconspicuous.

A heavy silence hung between the both of them. Kyouko avoided looking at him, reluctant to apologise. Unable to bear the suffocating silence, Sho snapped first.

"What?"

Kyouko looked unwillingly at him, and spoke in a petulant tone. "I'm _sorry_. I hope I didn't injure you, Fuwa-san."

"That didn't sound very sincere." There was a smug look on his face. "And I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Fuwa-san'."

She flipped back a lock of hair that fell over her shoulder, and crossed her arms. "I shall call you whatever I like." She took in a deep breath.

"Fuwa-san. Fuwa-san. Fuwa-san. _Shoutaro_. Fuwa-san. Fuwa-san. Shoutaro. Fuwa-san. Fuwa Shoutaro. Fuwa-"

"_Shut up!_"

The bottle in his hand fell to the floor, wetting his shoes slightly, as he stood up. Kyouko blinked, as the distance between them closed in an instant. He lowered his head and she found herself pinned under his strong gaze, looking right into the brown eyes that she once loved so much. Sho smirked, knowing the effect his sudden closeness had on her. He spoke softly into her ear.

"What's the matter?" His smirk grew when she shivered slightly. "Nerv- OW!"

He jumped back, clutching his foot, staring unbelievably at Kyouko. His foot, which was stomped on by her heeled one, pulsed painfully. He made a painful mistake of taking her stillness and shivering to be anticipation instead of anger. Kyouko glared, her amber eyes flashing.

"You really are hopeless. Just as bad as that Beagle." With that, Kyouko turned and left, leaving Sho with a throbbing foot and wondering why she was comparing him to that copycat.

* * *

"Cut! Good take!" The director looked up from the camera, looking pleased. "That's it for today. Otsukaresama!"

Laughter and voices filled the air as they broke up filming for the day. As crewmembers made plans to go drinking together, Kyouko hurried towards the trailer, rushing to change out of her dress as she had make-up scenes for [Dark Moon] that night. After reluctantly changing out of her outfit and wiping off her make-up, she stepped out of the trailer.

And right into Fuwa Sho.

She stared balefully at him, and continued walking, making a wide berth around him. He made a 'tch' sound of annoyance and caught up to her.

"Hey! What do you mean by I'm as bad as the Beagle guy?"

Kyouko ignored him, choosing to rifle through her bag, searching for her mobile phone.

"Oi!" He stepped ahead and stopped right in front of her, causing Kyouko, who was absorbed in the contents of her bag, to bump right into him. She fumed, and placed a hand on her hip.

"Would you excuse me, Fuwa-san? I have an appointment on now." Kyouko took a step to the right, which was countered by him. She looked at him, irritated.

"You-"

"Mogami-san?"

Both turned at the voice, slightly shocked. Crewmembers milling around the area dropped their jaws in shock, a couple dropping their equipment onto their feet and several more walking right into each other, as Tsuruga Ren walked gracefully towards the two.

Kyouko blinked in surprise while Sho's fists clenched tight in anger. He stopped in front of them, his height easily making him the tallest among them, and smiled.

Kyouko shivered, and kept a tight control over her demons, who were going crazy inside of her, wanting to come out and savour the darkness.

"T-Tsuruga-san. W-What are you doing h-here?"

"I heard that you have an outdoor shoot here today and I was worried you might not be able to make it back to the studio in time for [Dark Moon], so Yashiro-san and I came to pick you up." His smile grew.

She gulped and looked behind Ren, and saw Yashiro standing next to the car. Briefly wondering why Yashiro looked so excited, she pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on the issue in front of her. Once again, she had caused trouble for her sempai. She fidgeted uneasily, wondering what to do.

A warm hand took hold of hers and she looked up, her face feeling slightly warm, as Tsuruga Ren pulled her gently. "Come on. We have to hurry."

She nodded her head numbly, her mind in temporary shutdown mode. Before she could take another step, another hand grabbed hers, stopping her. That cleared her thoughts, and she stared at Sho. He looked at her for a moment, wanting to say something, but instead he clenched his jaw and let go of her hand.

"Tch. Whatever." He stalked past them, bumping his shoulder against Tsuruga Ren.

"What was that about?" Kyouko was confused.

There was a gleam in Ren's eyes, which she missed. He looked back at her, a small smile on his face. "Come on, Mogami-san. We're going to be late otherwise." Still holding onto her hand, he guided her towards the car.

* * *

A/n: Sorry for the late update once again. I'm trying to update this as regularly as I can now, seeing that I'm probably going to end this soon. All along, I've only meant for this story of mine to be an arc in the actual manga. I started with the Valentines' arc but that kinda got lost after a while, so I'm hoping to end this with the current arc. By the way, I was just referring to the part where Reino (Beagle) spoke into her ear during Valentines' arc.

I truly appreciate all the reviews and please feel free to point out any mistakes ^^ Is it too OOC? Boring?

Thanks for the wonderful reviews =)

saizen24, TohkoXKetsueki, Saranha de Angelo, Katmonty, Shiroyuki76, creamy creations, skepsis66, DREAMLYN-LA-DY-BUG-


	12. Act 12: Their Conundrum

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 12

Happy Reading!

_For saizen24 – cos your comment and PM made me smile =)_

* * *

"It's only a short distance from here!" The older man snuck a look sideways, and continued. "Come on. Not to mention it's on the wa-ay!" He dragged out the last word, hoping to convince the guy beside him.

He grounded his teeth when he saw his words elicited no response. "Oh well." He let out a huge sigh. "I guess Kyouko-chan has to make her own way to the studio then." He pasted on a sad expression on his face, and continued his monologue. "All by her lonesome self, walking alone along the dark, deserted path. Scary, lone-"

"Yashiro-san!" The actor glanced sideways. "It's hardly dark and scary. And I'm sure Mogami-san will hardly be by herself."

His manager pouted, not unlike a little boy denied his treat. "Well, it's only polite anyway, to pick your junior up. And you two are going to the same studio as well!"

Tsuruga Ren hid a smile. "Fine. Did I say I wasn't going to pick Mogami-san up anyway?" He made a left turn, and spoke again. "This is the way, right?"

Though exasperated with his manager's extremely obvious gestures when it comes to Kyouko, Ren was rather looking forward to seeing her again.

* * *

When Ren was planning to pick Kyouko up, he was prepared to see the blond singer, though the odd sense of unhappiness that flared up in his chest when he saw the two of them together was unexpected. He could hear their voices as he got out of the car, his field of vision narrowing to the two directly ahead of him, ignoring the whispers and stares from the crew.

"Would you excuse me, Fuwa-san? I have an appointment on now." Kyouko took a step to the right, which was countered by him. She looked at him, irritated.

"You-"

"Mogami-san?"

He interrupted, and saw the two of them jump slightly at his voice. He felt a sense of vindication when he saw Fuwa Sho clenched his fists and glared at the taller guy.

"T-Tsuruga-san. W-What are you doing h-here?"

Ren smiled down at Kyouko, who was fidgeting nervously, and he took a subtle step towards her, blocking Fuwa Sho out.

"I heard that you have an outdoor shoot here today and I was worried you might not be able to make it back to the studio in time for [Dark Moon], so Yashiro-san and I came to pick you up." His smile grew.

The actor saw her take a glance at the car, an unsure expression on her face, and took the lead for her. He took hold of her hand – which grew cold from the strong breeze – and ignoring the slight thrill he felt, Ren guided her towards the car. Just as they started walking away, he felt her stop. Turning back, his eyes narrowed when he saw that the other guy had grabbed hold of her hand. But just as he was about to say something, Fuwa Sho let go, and walked past them, knocking into Ren.

Putting on his normal expression, Ren smiled down at Kyouko, pretending that nothing has happened.

"Come on, Mogami-san. We're going to be late otherwise."

* * *

The chair fell to the ground with a loud clatter where he kicked it down, and sheets of paper flew through the air like confetti.

"Argh!" Fuwa Sho slumped back into the sofa, throwing up his hands to his face.

"Having trouble?" The door opened and Shouko stepped in quietly, taking in the mess calmly.

The blond singer ignored his manager, instead grabbing the magazine on the table and flipped through it angrily, almost tearing off the pages. Shouko let out a quiet sigh, and bent down to pick up the sheet of paper that was right at her feet. She glanced through the many scribbles and the striking outs and shook her head.

"Hey!" Sho glared at his manager who snatched the magazine right out of his hands, and replaced it with the sheet of music instead.

"This isn't like you." She held the magazine out of his reach. "You know, unless you want Kyouko-chan to be disappointed in you, be serious. Otherwise, you're going to lose her."

She turned and walked out, closing the door, leaving Sho to stare silently at the sheet of music in his hands.

* * *

"_Why are you doing this?" He shouted at her retreating back. "You-"He stopped mid-sentence when she abruptly turned back to face him, and the scar on her face was nothing in comparison to the look of pure hatred in her eyes. He actually felt his heart skipping a beat._

_Mio smirked, and turned away again._

"_Because I can." _

The last words spoken by 'Mio' seemed to reverberate throughout the studio, and crewmembers who had been watching swallowed hard, shivering involuntarily at the powerful performance that was put up by Tsuruga Ren and Kyouko.

"Cut! And we're done for today!" Ogata Hiroaki was pleased with the performance, and any earlier doubts that Kyouko might not have fully recovered from her illness were gone. He signalled to Ren, who was watching – with some amusement – at the crewmember who had the unfortunate task of dealing with Mio in order to 'wake' Kyouko.

"Tsuruga-kun, I'm going to push back the scene you were going to film with Kyouko-chan to the day after instead of tomorrow. So you'll be doing scenes with Momose-san first."

"Push back filming?" There was a small frown on his handsome face. "What for?"

"The President requested for it. It seems that Kyouko-chan has another job tomorrow, and it would take up the whole day." Ogata flipped through the script, making cancellation marks here and there, and frowned slightly. "Hmm… It's for a PV, I believe. Do you know anything about it?" He looked towards Ren expectantly.

He hesitated, before pasting a smile on his face. "Ah, I see! I think I recalled Mogami-san saying something about it."

Just as Kyouko managed to shake Mio from her system, she froze and shivered, and grabbed her grudges just as they were swarming out hungrily, preventing them from going further. She gulped and sneaked a glance towards her respected senior, wondering what could have made him so angry.

Kyouko sighed, and leaned back into her chair, allowing the make-up artistes to remove her make-up while her thoughts wandered back to the car ride.

"_T-Tsuruga-san?" She called out timidly from the backseat. "Are you a-angry?"_

_There was a pause before he replied. "Angry? Why would I be angry?" He let out a short laugh._

'_You are! You are really, really angry!' _

_Yashiro and Kyouko's thoughts were the same, both able to sense Tsuruga Ren's true feelings despite whatever façade he might have put on._

_Kyouko looked at her feet, wringing her hands nervously. "B-Because!" She felt ashamed, in hindsight, of how it must have looked arguing with Shoutaro. "I was behaving unprofessionally. Arguing with Sh- Fuwa-san in public. I'm sorry." She added on in a small voice, tears prickling her eyes._

'_Do something, Ren! Kyouko-chan's going to cry!' Yashiro had to bite on his tongue to keep himself from shouting out at Ren, his head whipping back and forth between Ren and Kyouko, suppressing his feelings of excitement._

_The car was shrouded in silence, save for the soft, sniffling sound coming from the backseat. Ren sighed and finally spoke up._

"_I'm not angry, Mogami-san. I was just…" Kyouko looked up expectantly as Ren brought the car to a stop before a red light. "Just… concerned. Was he picking on you or anything?"_

_He looked at her through his rear-view mirror, feeling an odd jolt when he met her amber eyes. He suppressed a smile when he saw her shake her head violently._

"_No! H-He wasn't!" She turned her gaze away. "Just… He was just asking me something."_

"_Then it's all right." She looked up again and felt relieved when she saw that her respected senior wasn't angry anymore. "So why don't you tell me how has the shooting been so far."_

"_Hai!" Kyouko brightened up immediately and started gushing about her princess-like character as Ren started driving when the light turned green, listening intently as he drove them towards the studio._

_Yashiro, in the passenger seat, kept unusually quiet, though there was a huge grin on his face throughout the rest of the ride._

"Mogami-san?" A hand waved in front of Kyouko's face, as she blinked and realised she had been daydreaming for a while. She inched her gaze upwards and was horrified to see a bemused Tsuruga Ren looking down at her.

Flying off her chair, she crumpled down on the floor in a dogeza, apologising profusely.

"I'M SO SORRY!" Ren let out a quiet, exasperated sigh as he bent over and helped her up.

"Really. Mogami-san." Kyouko unwillingly met his eyes. "You ought to pay more attention to your surroundings. Not to mention, your image. People are looking." Her eyes widening, she realised that the studio was unusually quiet, her outburst having caught everyone's attention. She would have dropped into another dogeza if not for Ren's arm, which was still holding on to hers, a subtle warning to mind her image. Instead, she executed a perfect bow, several times, to the crewmembers.

Thankfully, they laughed the incident off and carried on packing the equipment, all of who were rather used to Kyouko's eccentric behaviour.

She then turned back and faced Ren, who had on a rather amused expression. He gave her a small smile and, almost reluctantly, let go of his grip on her arm, and asked.

"Well, shall we go?" Before Kyouko could protest, he added on. "It's late and I'm not about to let a young lady go home by herself."

"Hai. Thank you." She acquiesced, adding her thanks in a small voice. She followed Ren, a few steps behind, touching her arm where his had been moments ago, wondering about the weird feeling in her chest.

* * *

"You look like hell."

Kyouko ignored the comment, deeply inhaling the smell of fresh coffee and donuts that had been set out for the crew that day. The filming would take up most part of the day, and the director wanted everyone to be in his or her best condition. She started to make her way towards the enticing aroma.

"Oi." The singer hurried after her. "I was talking to y-"

He stopped talking abruptly when she turned and glared at him, the dark circles under her eyes making her look scarier than usual.

"Why don't you just go and play with some other girl's heart? Fuwa-san." She narrowed her eyes. "Besides, I don't want to hear that from someone who has even heavier eye-bags than me."

Sho grinded his teeth, as Kyouko shrugged and went to grab a donut and a cup of coffee to boost her energy. The two teenagers had little sleep the night before, one trying to complete a new song, while the other had nightmares of an angry senior and an immature ex-friend wrestling with each other. Kyouko shuddered involuntarily, sipping her coffee carefully, as she remembered her nightmares again.

Needless to say, the make-up artist had a hard time that morning trying to make the two leads as presentable as possible.

* * *

"Cut!" The director called out. "That was well done, the both of you. Lets take ten before packing up and returning to the studio for the remaining scenes." She let out a huge sigh of relief, thankful that her two leads were cooperating well that day, and there were no accidental strangulations of any sort.

Kyouko sat in the chair, while the crew bustled around her packing the equipment up. She took a sip of water from her bottle and a smile spread across her face as a giggle escaped from her lips. The crew gave a wider berth than usual around her, the creepy look on her face scaring them more than usual.

"Pffft…!" Kyouko giggled again, her inner side practically doing cha-cha since knowing that she would have to endure Fuwa Shoutaro for a few more hours before filming for the PV would finally be completed.

"Wipe that creepy look off your face. You're scaring everyone."

Her cheerful mood dissipated faster than a puddle on a hot summer day. If anything, her expression rivalled that of what Mio normally looked like. She glared at Sho, before turning her attention away, choosing to take another sip of water instead of fighting with that guy.

"Drink any more water and you're going to look bloated on screen later."

Twitch. Though the guy wasn't making things easier with his snarky comments. She took a bigger gulp of water, obviously ignoring whatever Sho was saying.

"You-"

The director walked up to them just then, interrupting before Sho could make another comment.

"Fuwa-san, Kyouko-chan." The director smiled. "Just to inform you how the remaining filming would go later. It would be filmed in a nearby church instead. We just found it. The last scene would just consist of how the two characters get their 'happily ever after'. The heiress is supposed to be getting married, but the male lead stopped the wedding, and the two ran away. This part you two know." The smile on her face grew wider.

"Now what I need you two to do at the end of it all is to add in a hug, and of course, a kiss! After all, this is a romance story of sorts." She was practically beaming from ear to ear.

Kyouko, on the other hand, looked as if she had been told to swallow a frog. Sho remained expressionless.

The relatively empty bottle in her hand was crushed as Kyouko looked at the director in horror. Her mouth opened and closed, and it took a full minute before she could form a proper response.

"K-K-K- _What_?" Her jaw dropped as she waved madly in Sho's direction. "K-K- Gah! _Him_?"

The director cocked her head in slight surprise; she was thinking the girl would give a more enthusiastic response, given that Fuwa Sho was, after all, one of the most eligible bachelors around.

"… Yeah. I'm just informing you two. So… do your best!" The director gave an unsure smile and backed away slowly, having a vague idea now what the Love-Me section in LME was all about.

Kyouko slumped down in her seat, her earlier energy utterly sapped by that announcement. She heard a snort coming from the guy beside her, and turned to glare.

"Pft! What's the matter? Scaaarrred?" There was a smug look on Sho's face. The smirk widened as he bent over, speaking in a whisper. "It's not as if we've not k- Guaa!" His words were cut short when Kyouko planted her hand right in his face, shoving him back.

"Oi! That was my face!"

"So? Don't come so close to me."

"You! Scaredy-cat!"

"Go away, Shoutaro!"

"Stop calling me- OW! Why'd you kick me?"

Kyouko stuck out her tongue, and ran away, leaving Sho to stare at her retreating back, and rubbing his aching shin.

* * *

A/n: OMG, one year since I last updated? O_o

Anyone still reading this? I promise though. This story would definitely be completed… soon. And it's only a couple of chapters more. PROMISE! It will end soon.

Ignore the cheesy, over-used PV plot and focus on their relationships, k? =D

Thanks to all who reviewed (can't name all in my hurry to upload soon). I appreciate all the comments so very much. Truly, thank you.

… Review, please?


	13. Act 13: The Runaways

Skip Beat Surprise!

Chapter 13

Happy Reading!

* * *

Kyouko looked in the mirror, hardly believing her eyes. She turned to the make-up artiste, her eyes shining like never before.

"M-Maiko-saaan!" The make-up artiste backed up slightly, a little taken aback by the expression on Kyouko's face. "You really are a fairy god-mother!" Kyouko sniffed, trying to hold back tears.

"I-it's nothing. Don't cry!" Her 'fairy god-mother' laughed slightly. "It's going to ruin all the hard work!"

"Hai!" Kyouko sniffed, holding her breath for a while, desperately keeping her tears back.

The make-up artiste laughed. Kyouko was a surprising nice girl to work with. Her earlier misgivings that the teenager who acted 'Natsu' and 'Mio' must be a difficult person were unwarranted.

"Kyouko-chan." The older lady marvelled as she adjusted the veil. "You make a really beautiful bride."

The two ladies looked into the floor length mirror, admiring the finished product. Kyouko was in a simple white, off-the-shoulder dress, her make-up minimal, and her hair swept up in an elegant bun. The veil was long, and settled in a soft pile on the floor.

Kyouko was close to tears again.

"Maiko-saaan! You're amazing. To be able to turn me into such a pretty person!"

Once again, Maiko was amazed at how humble the girl is. Many female artistes she had worked for before never hesitated to praise themselves, and had never bothered giving credit to the make-up artistes. Maiko had a small smile on her face as she observed the young starlet in front of her.

"You're going to go a long way, dear." Maiko let out a quiet sigh. "If only you knew yourself more..."

"Hmm?" Kyouko turned to the lady, still distracted by how pretty the dress and make-up was. "Did you say something, Maiko-san?"

The make-up artiste laughed quietly. "Nothing, dear." She clapped her hands, catching Kyouko's full attention. "But we'd better hurry. Filming's about to start soon."

"Hai!"

* * *

Inside the church, Sho leaned back into the pew, fiddling with his shirt absent-mindedly. He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. Shouko observed her charge with interest.

"What's bothering you?" A sly smile spread across her face as she teased the younger boy. "The kiss with Kyouko-chan?"

Sho shot a glare at his manager, and snorted. "As if."

"Unlike you to be so shy about a kiss, Sho." She was having fun teasing the boy, an opportunity one does not always get.

"Tch. Whatever."

"Come on, Sho. Don't hold back your feelings." She grinned. "Feel free to tell me everything!"

"I told you! I don't-"

His protests were cut short with loud murmurs near the front of the church. Shouko sat up with interest, wondering what the commotion was about. Her jaw dropped, gasping in surprise, as Kyouko entered the church, resplendent in the white gown, the veil trailing on the floor behind her.

"My! Kyouko-chan is…" She blinked, at a loss for words. She turned back to her charge. "Sho! Did you see…" Her words trailed off, as she saw the expression on the singer's face.

He was sitting upright, at the edge of his seat, his attention focused on his childhood friend. She was the proverbial ugly duckling who grew up to be the beautiful swan, the ugly caterpillar who had morphed into a gorgeous butterfly.

A soft sigh escaped from his lips, wondering yet again what he had thrown away, and now wanting to get back.

* * *

"Tsuruga-kun!" Hiroaki looked into the room where the actor was taking a break while awaiting his scene.

His attention focused on the mobile phone in his hand, Ren failed to hear the director calling him. His finger hovered above the 'Call' button and moved away for the umpteenth time. He sighed, leaning back into his seat, wondering when he had become this indecisive.

"Tsuruga-kun!" Ren looked up, and jumped, when he saw that the director was directly in front of him.

"Ogata-san! When did you get here?"

The young director laughed nervously. "I've been here a while now. Is something bothering you?" His eyes widened. "I-Is there something wrong with my directing?" He looked close to tears.

Ren hurriedly assured the insecure director. "No, no. Nothing's wrong! I just… had something else on my mind."

Hiroaki heaved a sigh of relief, and smiled. "Well, you can talk to me if there's something bothering you." He looked down at the phone in Ren's hand. "Were you going to make a call to someone? Is it… a troublesome person?"

Ren laughed. "Well, you can put it that way." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Ogata-san, but was there something you needed to tell me?"

The director blinked and gasped. "That's right! I wanted to tell you that we'll be rearranging the shooting of the scenes and you'll be up next!" He peered at the actor, hesitant. "Are you… ready? I can push back filming for a while more if you're not…"

"It's okay." Ren stood, brushing out his shirt. "I'm ready."

Hiroaki was relieved, and walked out to get ready. As Ren made to follow him, he stopped and looked down to his phone. Making a decision, he pressed a few buttons and hit 'Send'. He then pocketed his phone and went out of the room, slipping into his 'Katsuki' persona.

* * *

"Kyouko-chan! You look really pretty!" Kyouko blushed and waved away Shouko's compliments.

"It's not me! It's the make-up and dress. You should praise Maiko-san instead!"

Shouko laughed, knowing how modest Kyouko could be. She turned and shot a look at Sho, whom she dragged along to the front of the church.

"Sho!" She hissed under her breath, gesturing with her hands. "Don't you have anything to say?"

Sho stuffed his hands into his pockets and mumbled under his breath. "You look… good."

Kyouko replied with an equally reluctant 'Thanks'.

Shouko only let out an exasperated sigh.

"All right! If everyone's ready, lets get the shooting underway. We've only got this place for a while more!" The director clapped her hands, trying to get everyone into position.

Sho promptly turned and walked out of the church, where he was supposed to wait until he was signalled to come running in and stop the wedding ceremony. Kyouko turned to face her 'husband-to-be', a nice man whom she had fun talking with during the break. As the cameras moved into place, and the 'minister' stood before the couple, Kyouko closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, slipping into her character, which she had privately christened as 'Lady Rose'.

'Lady Rose' thought of how unwilling she was to marry the much older man in front of her, a forced marriage her father arranged in order for better business relations. Kyouko's 'Lady Rose' personality nearly broke when she had to think of wanting to be with her true love. Kyouko had to consciously stop herself from gagging.

Trying to keep her breathing even, Kyouko replaced her own personality with 'Lady Rose', and when she opened her amber eyes, tears were threatening to spill over as Lady Rose was reluctant to marry the man before her.

The church was silent, except for the 'minister' who was reciting the vows when the director motioned for him to start. The director was astounded, yet again, at how easy Kyouko was able to slip into character. Save for her weird actions at times, Kyouko was proving to be a very promising actress.

"… If anyone should object to this matrimony, speak now or forever hold your silence."

As if to punctuate his point, the church doors slammed open, and the young bride turned, tears spilling over when she saw whom it was. Sho ran forward, pushing away the 'guards' blocking his way, and reached the altar, Breathing hard, he reached for her hand just as she reached for his.

A shy smile spread across her face and his breath caught in his chest. The sunlight spilling through the opened church doors fell across her face and she looked beyond angelic. His body seemed to move on its own; he tugged on her hand, pulling her along as he ran towards the entrance, and time seemed to slow down as the two ran down the aisle and out of the church.

Once again, the church was in absolute silence.

"D-Director?" The senior cameraman whispered to the stock-still woman. "S-Shouldn't you shout 'Cut'?"

She blinked, and stared blankly at the man, several more seconds passed before she could form a coherent thought.

"Oh! C-Cut!" The director clapped her hands, and the spell broke, as the crew whispered excitedly to each other. "That was fantastic!" Everyone was in agreement, the emotions played out was so realistic that it was hard to believe that they were still filming.

"Now can someone go get our two leads back? Before they run off too far?"

* * *

The sounds of their ragged breathing filled the air as Sho continued running with Kyouko at his heels, his hand still tightly clasped with hers.

"_Sho-chan!" Little Kyouko gasped as she tried to keep up with the boy. "Wait for me!"_

"_Go home!" Sho threw an irritated look over his shoulder, and picked up his pace. "Stop following me!"_

"_B-But… I want to be with Sho-chan!" She pouted, looking close to tears. She tried to run faster, and tripped._

"_Ouch!" Sho turned back, and was relieved when he saw that she wasn't following him anymore._

"_Just go home!" _

_Kyouko stared forlornly at Sho's rapidly retreating back, and tears spilled over. She sniffed and wiped her face, wincing when she stood up, her knees scraped and bleeding, and hobbled back to the inn._

Looking at his back – as they continued running – Kyouko thought of how much she had wanted Sho to grab her hand and run like this, never stopping. But that was all in the past now. She snapped out of it first, stopping in her tracks, pulling Sho to a stop as well.

Wrenching her hand out of his grasp, she bent over, hands on her knees as she took in deep breaths.

"Wha- What do you think you're doing?" She gasped, pressing her hand against a stitch in her side.

Sho sat himself on the grassy field – utterly unconcerned about how it would dirty his clothes – breathing hard himself.

"Th-That was something." He fell back onto the ground, looking up to the clear blue skies. "I've not run like that in ages!" He turned to look at Kyouko, who was still trying to catch her breath.

"Come on! Just lie down for a while!"

"In this _dress_?" Kyouko gave a scandalized look. "No, than- aaah!"

He grabbed her arm, and pulled her down with him, causing her to fall neatly into his embrace, and she was now on the ground with him as well. Frowning, she pushed his arms and inched away from him. There was a small smile on his lips, which Kyouko missed, as he observed her lying form next to his. At least she didn't walk away from him. Yet. They fell into a familiar silence.

It was quite a sight to behold. The brilliant white of Kyouko's gown contrasted with the deep green of the grass and seemed to shine under the sunlight. Sho averted his gaze, running a hand through his bleached hair. He broke the silence.

"Remember when we used to play catch? We ran around quite a bit."

"I was always 'It'." Kyouko frowned slightly.

"Someone had to be 'It'!"

"You broke Okami-san's favourite vase and blamed _me_ for it!"

"You pushed me into the pond, and I nearly _drowned_!"

"It was an accident! And don't exaggerate; the pond was only three feet deep. You could _stand_ in the pond!"

The two glowered at each other, and the tension broke when both started laughing at the memories they shared. And for a while there, Sho could pretend they were friends again, like before.

Their laughter petered off, as they lay on their backs, memories playing in their heads. He turned and saw that Kyouko had closed her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. His body seemed to move by reflex.

Lying there on the ground, she basked in the sunlight and felt herself relax, despite the fact that her sworn enemy was inches away. Then a shadow loomed over her, and her eyes snapped open, looking directly into that said enemy's brown eyes. Kyouko jumped, but with his arms on either side of her, there was no way she could get away.

"Kyouko…" He breathed, saying her name in a whisper. His face moved closer to hers, and Kyouko panicked, though she could neither avert her gaze, nor move her body.

"S-" Before she could say anything, his head was on her bare shoulder, his lips near her ears. A soft sigh escaped from his lips.

"…"

Kyouko blinked, and before she knew it, Sho was off her and lying by her side again. She continued staring dumbly at the blue skies above, before a screech interrupted her befuddled thoughts and caught their attentions.

"GAH! What are you two doing on the _floor_?"

* * *

A/n: Thanks for all the reviews. I'm happy =D One year with no updates and you guys are still reading! Thank you, truly.

Like I said, I'll be ending this soon, so updates should be faster *fingers crossed* This fic was mainly to discuss the relationship between Sho and Kyouko. But there were issues I wanted to resolve, and don't want to mix them up, so I plan to write another story, which can be a sequel/standalone.

… Review?


	14. Final Act: And Here We Go Again

Skip Beat Surprise

Chapter 14

Happy Reading!

* * *

"I'm really sorry!" She apologized, teary-eyed, for the umpteenth time.

Maiko laughed and waved off the teen's apology. She looked kindly at the younger girl – clad in her pink overalls while Maiko brushed the gown – and smiled.

"Kyouko-chan, it's really okay. Look. The gown isn't damaged at all, so stop apologizing!" The older lady sighed. "And shouldn't you get up by now? You've in that position for the past ten minutes." She reached out to Kyouko, to help the younger girl up from her dogeza.

Unshed tears shining brightly in her eyes, Kyouko looked gratefully at the older woman, and stood next to her as Maiko finally ironed out the last crease from the gown. She held it out to Kyouko.

"Come on. Lets get you into this, and we can continue with the filming, alright?" She meant it kindly, but Kyouko froze and cried out again.

"I'm so sorry!"

The make-up artiste let out an exasperated sigh.

* * *

"It's all your fault!" She hissed, glowering at him.

"_Me_?" He scoffed.

"If you hadn't felt the need to roll in the dirt, my dress wouldn't get dirty!"

"Tch. I wasn't 'rolling in the dirt'! And you weren't exactly upset about it!"

Shouko looked on at the bickering teenagers, exasperated. She had hopes that the two might have worked out their differences – given how she had found them lying side by side when she went and got them – but whatever that had transpired between the two have obviously dissipated.

A loud clap caught everyone's attention, and the two broke off their arguing to face the director.

"Now that our leads are back," She looked meaningfully at them; causing Kyouko to hang her head in shame while Sho remained nonchalant. "We can get on with the rest of the filming. We'll pick up from where Fuwa-san grabs Kyouko-chan's hand and run. Please stop just outside the church, and _stay there_. Don't go lying on the dirt this time." There was an amused look in her eyes, and muffled laughter from the crew could be heard. Kyouko felt her face heating up.

"Lets just get started, alright?" Kyouko and Sho moved apart, quickly taking up their positions. Kyouko smiled timidly at her 'husband-to-be', who looked like he wanted to laugh, before closing her eyes and slipping into her character.

"Action!"

The doors slammed open and Sho came barrelling in, a determined look in his eyes. He charged down the aisle, and grabbed onto her wrist, pulling Kyouko away from the man she was about to marry. She smiled up at him, and allowed herself to be taken away, discarding her bouquet on the floor. The two ran down the aisle and out of the doors.

"Cut! Good take!" She peered from behind the camera, trying to look past the opened doors.

"Are those two still there?"

* * *

Sho blew a lock of his hair away from his face, as he leaned against the church walls, feeling rather irritated, and no idea why.

The crew bustled around the place as they set up the cameras and the lighting for the final scene.

The kiss.

Sho fiddled with the collar of his shirt, wondering why he was feeling so warm. He stole a glance at Kyouko – who was having her make-up touched up while waiting – wondering how she could still be laughing and joking like she wasn't about to kiss her so-called arch-rival.

His fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against his thigh, as he tried thinking about his new single instead. The director's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Fuwa-san." Startled, he turned to look at the director. "Just thought I'll go over briefly how things would go." She smiled kindly at him, and pointed. "Look at Kyouko-chan." He turned his gaze reluctantly to the girl.

"She is the girl you love most in your life, but you don't deserve her."

A stabbing sensation in his chest.

"Despite knowing she would probably suffer if she follows you, she still gave up everything willingly in order to do so."

Another arrow to his heart.

"That's why you can't let her down, or throw her aside."

He wished the ground could swallow him whole.

"Well, that's basically the gist of it!" The director beamed, clapping a hand on his shoulder; unaware of the distress she caused the blond rocker. "I won't teach you how to _kiss_, but think about those feelings and put them forth later, ok?" She patted his shoulder gently, and went off.

He let out a massive sigh and leaned back into the wall, thinking of how screwed he was going to be during filming later.

* * *

"Places, everybody!" The crew bustled back and forth, while Kyouko and Sho took the centre stage, standing in the middle of a 'track', where the camera would circle around them in order to take all possible angles.

There was a small smirk on Sho's face as Kyouko moved towards him. He leaned forward, and spoke softly. "Guess you're not that worried about the kiss, huh. But then again, it's not as if this is your _first kiss_."

His smirk widened, as he reminded her of the Valentines' disaster. Sho straightened his back, satisfied with his attempt of messing with her mind. She should be the one losing sleep over a kiss, not him! He grinned down at Kyouko, whose attention was on the floor while he tried to rile her.

His self-satisfied grin froze on his face when Kyouko lifted her head up, a small smirk on face as well.

"What kiss?" She lifted a shoulder and made a shrugging motion. "If you were talking about during Valentines, that wasn't a kiss. That was just an _anteater_ trying to get food off my mouth. Lip contact with an animal can't be considered as a kiss!"

His eye twitched. "_Anteater_? You-"

"That doesn't count as a kiss, so there! That's the actor's rule of heart!" She proclaimed. "I'm a professional and small things like that shouldn't faze me at all!" Kyouko repeated her respected senior's words, proud of herself.

He grounded his teeth. This was not what he had expected. Nor planned, when he had barged in on the set of [Dark Moon] to give her the flowers and the kiss. Kyouko was supposed to have her head full of only him, and not dismiss it easily like an anteater trying to get food off her mouth!

"You-" He stopped himself, trying to keep his cool. "Well, if you want to argue it like that, I guess when we kiss later, it would be a kiss! No food involved today, so no anteaters, huh!" He crossed his arms, satisfied that Kyouko could not deny his words. He would make her think of only him.

Her eyes flashed angrily. "I am a professional actress. And this is my job." Sho blinked at her seriousness. "No matter how much I may hate the other person, I'll give my all to do it properly, and seriously." Her amber eyes darkened.

"A kiss is only something that happens between a couple in love. That's not us."

His mouth opened and closed, unable to retort back. Kyouko kept her gaze on Sho, her expression smug.

"Erm…" The two jumped, suddenly aware that they were still in the middle of filming, and turned to see the crew's faces, fascinated with their conversation. The director hesitated before continuing. "If… If you two are ready, can we begin the filming now?"

"Ah! Of course! I'm sorry for the delay." Kyouko executed a perfect bow, dismayed to see that once again her stupid rival had caused them to hold back filming.

She straightened and faced Sho – who still looked like he had been punched in the gut – and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. She cleared her mind of unhappy thoughts, locking her grudges in a corner of her heart, and tried to bring out 'Lady Rose'.

"Action!"

She opened her eyes slowly, and nearly lost her footing when Sho closed the distance between them, grabbing her lips in a rough kiss. Her eyes flew wide opened, enraged, as Sho kissed her, almost desperately. Kyouko placed her hands on his chest and gave a hard shove, pushing him away. She panted, wiping a hand across her mouth.

"_What_," She snarled, "do you think you're doing?"

Sho, breathing hard, ran his tongue across his bottom lip, feeling a cut he gotten when his lips scrapped against her teeth. He smirked.

"Can you still say that wasn't a kiss?"

_Piack._

His cheek stinging, Sho looked up to see Kyouko running back towards the church. He gently touched his face, wincing slightly at its tenderness.

"Was that really necessary, Sho?"

The teenage boy blinked and faced a bewildered group of people, most of whom had their jaws dropped open in shock. Shouko shook her head, and added on with a disappointed sigh.

"You're only making matters worse."

Sho stalked away, in an opposite direction from the church. The crew continued gaping, and it took several more moments before the director regained her bearings.

"Well, I… I guess we'll take a ten-minutes break?"

* * *

She was curled up in a corner of the room, an aura darker than usual surrounding her. She fumed, unable to believe the nerve of the jerk, who forced his lips on her for the second time. Kyouko swiped a hand across her for the umpteenth time – muttering darkly under her breath – when her eyes fell on her bag. She got up, careful not to dirty her gown, and reached into her bag, wondering if she should call Moko for help.

Letting out a dark sigh, she retrieved her mobile, blinking in surprise when she saw that she had an unread message.

_From: Tsuruga Ren-san_

_Mogami-san, remember the actor's rule of heart. A professional puts his personal feelings aside when it comes to doing his job properly._

Kyouko felt a burden relieved almost instantly upon reading her senior's words. A small smile played on her lips as she reread the message, her earlier dark thoughts gone. Taking in a deep breath, she kept her phone and stood up, brushing down her gown.

She was ready.

* * *

Sho was leaning against the same place while the crew once again adjusted the various cameras and lightings. He ignored the murmurings and pointed looks, trying to focus on the lyrics to his new single, though Kyouko's furious expression kept interrupting his thoughts.

"Sho." He turned, and turned away again when he saw it was just his manager.

Shouko sighed and stood next to her charge. "What was it that made you behave like a hormonal teen boy?"

The blond singer snorted.

She shook her head. "Really, Sho. You're not making things easier between Kyouko-chan and yourself." She looked at him. "And I thought the relationship between the two of you was better when I found you two lying side-by-side just now."

He frowned, grimacing inwardly when memories earlier during the day came to his mind. He grounded his teeth, wondering what possessed him to lean over Kyouko when they were out lying on the field.

Shouko was still talking. "During this entire PV shooting, you were behaving rather childishly, Sho. You had lots of alone time with Kyouko-chan, what with getting lost together and so on, but it seems like your relationship with hers is only getting from bad to w- Sho!" Exasperation was written all over her face, when Sho walked away from her, not interested in hearing her lecture him.

"Sh-"

"Places, everyone!" The director's voice cut through the murmurings. Sho turned and walked towards the centre instead. He stood, ignoring the loud whispers as the crew gossiped about him and Kyouko, and instead looked as the young actress walked out of the church and towards him, a small smile on her lips.

He frowned, slightly confused, wondering what Kyouko could be smiling about. She stepped into the centre, adjusting her long veil behind her, and smiled shyly at him.

Shyly? The blond singer blinked, more confused than before.

"Ready?" Before he could protest, the director continued. "Action!"

Everyone fell into a hush, as they anticipated his next move. Her hand moved forwards and grabbed his tightly, before looking up into his face and giving him a shy smile. Sho felt his heart skipping a beat, and could only stand there gaping like a fool.

"Cut!" The director was at her breaking point. "Fuwa-san, we have _started_ already. Are you ready, or do you want to take _another_ break?"

He snapped out of it, shaking his head. Tearing his gaze from hers, Sho glared at the director, growling. "No! I'm _fine_." He grounded his teeth. "One more time."

He turned back to Kyouko, not daring to believe that she had once again fooled him with her acting, able to slip into character like nothing had happened before the break. He glared at her, and she looked right past him, focusing on the trees behind him instead.

Her eyes flicked upwards, and caught his. A small smile was playing on her lips, and her eyes twinkled. Unable to help himself, Sho's hand reached out, and gently caressed her face. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his palm, a look of contentment on her face. His hand moved down and tilted her chin slightly.

There was a small blush to her face when he pulled her close, and bent down, his lips touching hers in a chaste kiss. His lips gently prodded hers, and they stood there – for what seemed like forever – before they finally broke apart, and he rested his forehead on hers, a look of contentment on both faces.

Time seemed to have stopped.

He opened his eyes and look down at the girl before him – looking irresistibly cute and happy – and his heart skipped yet again, as he reached down and grasped her hand tightly in his. Her eyes opened, and the look of happiness drew him in, as his other hand caressed her cheek, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"CUT!"

That was probably one of the loudest wake-up calls Fuwa Sho had ever gotten, and alongside him, everyone else jumped. The director looked at Sho, her eyes shining, as she gushed.

"That. Was. Amazing!"

Excited murmurs could be heard from the crew as they agreed at how realistic the acting was. His mood plummeted instantly, realising that they were still indeed filming, and Kyouko was only acting. He turned to face her again, and she was looking downwards, her shoulders trembling.

Trembling? He frowned, as he reached out – hesitantly – towards her, when she looked up suddenly, making him jerk back in shock.

"Ohohohoho!" There was a huge grin on her face, her eyes flashing with triumph. He froze, a sinking suspicion on what she was so happy about.

"Fuwa Sho! I guess _my_ acting was much better than what you expected!" He shifted away uncomfortably, knowing that her acting had pulled him in. She had an evil smile on – not unlike the one during the [Prisoner] PV – as she continued, undisguised glee on her face. "Shouldn't you go learn some acting now?"

"Argh!" He slapped his hands over his ears, pissed. "Go away!"

"Ahahaha!" She chased after him – like a vengeful ghost – as he stalked away, hands still over his ears.

The crew watched on, amused, as the two ran around the place, not knowing that they looked just like any other couple.

* * *

"Kyaa! Kyouko-san! You were amazing today! Congratulations!"

"Really? I think so too! Thank you!"

"You were fantastic!"

"Oh, stop it! You're making me blush!"

Maiko, who was packing the gown away, blinked as she observed the weird exchange between Kyouko and… Kyouko. The girl was brushing her hair and beaming into the mirror as she continued her one-sided conversation.

"I can't wait to tell Moko-san! And of course, Tsuruga-san, who helped me out so much!" She smiled, picking up her phone again, remembering the message he sent to her.

"K-Kyouko-chan?" The girl looked up in surprise, having forgotten – in her glee – that she was not alone in the room. Maiko smiled, waving. "I'll be going off first. Take care, and see you around soon."

Kyouko dropped into a quick bow. "Thank you, Maiko-san, for all your help today!"

"It's nothing, my dear. Keep up the good work!" The older lady smiled, and left. Kyouko looked up, smiling, and let out a satisfied sigh. Her work with the annoying person was finally done, and she can concentrate on [Dark Moon] and [Box 'R']. She removed the neon pink overalls from the hanger and slipped it on, zipping it up, a smile on her face.

Now, she felt that she could handle anything.

* * *

"Sho!" Shouko shouted as she hurried after the singer. "Shouldn't you go remove your make-up first? Sho!"

The guy shrugged and stalked towards the room where she was supposed to be. He was majorly pissed off from how she made a fool out of him and he wanted to tell her off. Acting? Bah! Who needs it when he has my gorgeous looks and beautiful voice? He grinded his teeth – looking rather un-gorgeous – and threw open the door that leads into her room.

"Now, listen here! Yo–" He stopped mid-tirade. The room was empty.

"Sho!" Shouko caught up, fuming. "Listen when I tal– Sho?" She looked around him; her anger dissipating when she saw that the girl he was looking for was no longer there.

"Sho…" She began gently, and stopped when he turned and stalked away. This time, his manager let him be.

* * *

Some time later…

It would have probably ended well, if Sho was not such a stubborn person and refused to look Kyouko up. Shouko tried reasoning with her charge that Kyouko was probably more receptive towards him now, given that they had – after all – _kissed_!

Sho then said something about anteaters – which she thought she heard wrongly – and plainly refused to talk about it anymore.

Now, it was obvious it would definitely end badly if Sho ever met Kyouko. Shouko threw a hesitant glance over her shoulder, where he was sprawled across the backseat, flipping angrily through a magazine. A magazine which featured – prominently – photos of Kyouko in a pretty dress, and sitting next to a handsome, tall actor, whose face was now Sharpied over, with a red marker he had conveniently found somewhere.

And to think she had tried so hard to keep Sho away from that broadcast. She let out a soft sigh, as she turned her attention back to the road and navigated slowly through the traffic.

* * *

He huffed as he tore through the magazine, before throwing it aside. He pulled himself up and leaned against the window, looking out, though he was unable to get her face out of his mind. He ran a hand through his hair, fuming, as he scanned the streets, desperately trying to find some cute chick who could take his mind off a certain someone.

Too tall. Too skinny. Too short. To– He raised an approving eyebrow, having caught sight of a very appealing figure.

The figure sashayed down the sidewalk, towards his car. Sho smirked, liking how her short shorts were practically riding up her thighs, and her cropped top showed off a very toned midriff. And her accessories – the lip ring, the _chains_ – added flavour to her look. The girl walked down and past his car, unaware – or could not be bothered – with the looks she was getting from the general public. Sho continued staring, even after she passed, admiring how sexy she was, even from the back.

He frowned. Though why he thought that the girl looks like Kyouko baffled him. He gave a short laugh, as the car picked up speed, and the cute figure was rapidly disappearing behind him.

Kyouko would never dress like _that_!

* * *

A/n: After 3 years, and 14 chapters, I'm finally done!

Gosh! I took so long! I really apologise, and to whoever's still reading this, kudos to you! Thanks for all the support. This was my first ever Skip Beat! fanfic and it means a lot to me. I know the writing's lacking, the storyline's cliché, and updates are slower that a snail crossing the road, but truly, I thank everyone who has reviewed this so far. Thank you!

…Review for old times' sake?

With much gratitude,

piggycat350


End file.
